EP 88: Kevin Kong from Everstar

Building a nuclear reactor in America used to take three years. Now the paperwork alone can eat a decade. Kevin Kong, CEO and Founder of Everstar, went from scaling Bird scooters to using AI to untangle nuclear permitting, supply chains and robotic welding. We get into why large reactors can beat SMRs on cost, how the US lost its nuclear supply chain, the jobs a new reactor fleet could create, guarding export controlled data, and how they always knew when Shaq was riding a Bird.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 Intro1:12 From Bird to Everstar6:33 The library book that started it all10:16 Nuclear myths and the Watts Bar story13:49 How the US lost its nuclear edge19:38 AI for nuclear permitting27:05 Models, physics and regulation32:58 SMRs vs large reactors41:34 Data centers and nuclear jobs44:05 Knowledge gaps and robotic welding50:16 Security and export controls53:43 Simulating plant operations58:43 Building across teams1:01:54 AI native energy companies1:06:59 Scaling chaos at Bird1:09:39 Book picks and where to find Kevinhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai