Why Nuclear’s Supply Chain Is the Real Opportunity
Chris Sorrells shares the through-line connecting NuScale and Eagle Energy Metals. From his early exposure to nuclear markets in 1998 to helping build nuclear simulation platforms and supporting NuScale through licensing, Chris explains why first-mover advantage in SMRs mattered and why the next opportunity lies deeper in the supply chain.
With SMRs advancing toward commercialization, fuel and uranium supply have become the critical, tech-agnostic bottlenecks. Eagle Energy Metals represents that next layer of exposure.
Disclaimers:
The views, opinions, and statements expressed by the guest are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The SPAC Podcast, its hosts, or affiliated organizations. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
Michael J. Blankenship is a licensed attorney and is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal, financial, or compliance advice. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of any regulatory agency, law firm, employer, or organization.
Listeners are encouraged to consult their own legal counsel, compliance professionals, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations, including those enforced by the SEC, FINRA, and other regulatory bodies. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation, offer, or recommendation of any financial products, securities transactions, or legal services.
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:
👉 Michael J. Blankenship - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
👉 ...
Michael Blankenship: And I'll say that's a, a very good DESPAC-ing story. So, and now, Eagle Energy Metals this year, both linked to nuclear energy and, and small modular reactors what connects those stories for you and, and what does it tell us about where the nuclear and uranium markets are headed?
Chris Sorrells: So I did my first new deal in 1998. I ended up as part of the banking team that took United States Enrichment Court Public today that is renamed Centris and it's a publicly traded company that has done incredibly well. So I had my first, that, that was the first exposure. I, I became fascinated by it.
And, and over the, the ensuing years. Spent a lot of time, you know, looking and probing about ways to build platforms in, in the nuke space. It was relatively fragmented. Market on the supply side. And so it is just something I've spent a lot of time in. Ultimately, I ended up becoming a board member investor and COO of a publicly traded nuke services company that had really unique technology simulation software.
So it created the digital twin that was used to train, you know, the workforce. So you, you go inside the simulator and you were inside a real life new plan. So I, I spent almost five years helping build that company. And that is where I encountered new scale. New scale used the, the GSE simulator and that simulator allowed them to go through the NRC regulatory process to become the first licensed SMR.
Upon exiting that, that role. That is when we launched the spac. And so I had a history with some team members, employees, boards et cetera. And you know, it felt like a, a very opportune time. Again, going back to that first thing and the first question you know, focus on first movers.
There was no way to play pure play, SMR anywhere in the world, any exchange. And so we felt that there would be some opportunity. We thought that the technology had started to advance to a commercial point with the license, and that was a huge barrier that took four years plus and, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars.
To achieve. So we were very thrilled. Playing off of that new scale came in on the backs of new scale Eagle and that really led us to the supply chain, different part, but fuel is key and it's tech agnostic. So all these different providers need fuel. So we really like the Eagle story.
Chairman & CEO of Spring Valley II and III
Chris Sorrells is chief executive officer of Spring Valley and chairman of Spring Valley II and III. A veteran investor and operator with over 30 years of experience in the natural resources and decarbonization sectors, he previously led Spring Valley I through its merger with NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) and served on NuScale’s board. Sorrells was lead director at Renewable Energy Group (Nasdaq: REGI) until its $3.1 billion acquisition by Chevron and earlier was managing director and operating partner at NGP Energy Technology Partners. He holds degrees from the University of Southern California, the College of William & Mary, and Washington and Lee University.