Editor's note: The AI revolution needs nuclear power...
And one technology in particular looks more promising every day.
Yesterday, we featured an essay on U.S. energy demand – and explained why nuclear power will be a key long-term solution.
In today's edition, Joel reveals the specific type of reactor that could solve much of the AI energy crisis.
One final note... We're giving our team a well-deserved break as we close out the year and head into 2026. Please look for your next Altimetry Daily Authority on Monday, January 5.
We wish you a safe and happy New Year.
Nukey Poo committed a fireable offense more than once a week for nearly eight years...
But for a short time, it had the most secure job in the U.S. military.
There was no other way to keep the lights on at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. It was the early 1960s, and McMurdo was the largest U.S. research base on the continent. It housed 1,000 men who needed a source of light and heat.
Diesel was far too expensive. The fuel only cost about 12 cents per gallon back home. Unfortunately, its price more than tripled by the time it reached the base.
The military had seen some recent success with nuclear technology. The Navy had launched its first nuclear submarine just five years earlier. A reactor seemed like a natural choice to power McMurdo.
So the team shipped all the materials down and got to work. Construction began in 1961.
The following year, the reactor started powering the base.
It was an immediate – and short-lived – success...
To everyone's amazement, the base now had nearly unlimited energy.
There was enough light and heat to keep the researchers warm all day. Everyone could take a hot shower after being out in the cold.
But this pint-sized nuclear reactor at the bottom of the world developed an almost comical track record of failure. It suffered a hydrogen fire within its first year of service. Its lining developed hairline cracks.
And before long, McMurdo staff had dubbed the reactor "Nukey Poo"... a reference to how often (and how much) it leaked.
By the time Nukey Poo was decommissioned in 1972, it had experienced a grand total of 438 documented malfunctions.
Thanks to the leaks, even the gravel beneath the site had turned radioactive. The military had to ship 12,000 metric tons of contaminated soil back home.
The military overestimated its understanding of nuclear safety...
And it underestimated just how harsh Antarctica could be.
But the core concept of mini nuclear reactors that can pop up fast and produce massive energy still holds up.
In fact, this idea is more relevant than ever.
Small modular reactors ("SMRs") have been powering nuclear subs and aircraft carriers for decades. They're far safer and more efficient than Nukey Poo was back in the 1960s.
And soon, they'll fuel off-grid facilities... bolster domestic infrastructure... and support everything from military installations to rural data centers.
Nuclear is both cleaner and more efficient than most other energy options. Big Tech is going "all in" on this source to power the next wave of the AI revolution.
That makes many SMRs a promising bet for the future of U.S. energy... and for your portfolio.
Regards,
Joel Litman
December 31, 2025
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