Why Nuclear Deserves a Second Look—A Conversation with Hadron

Article by John Tran / COO Santa Cruz Works

Santa Cruz may not be the first place you think of when it comes to energy innovation—but it’s quickly becoming the hub. Startups like Verdagy, Heron Power, Peregrine Hydrogen, and Monarch Energy are pushing the boundaries of electrolysis, grid tech, and hydrogen innovation, while researchers at UC Santa Cruz are laying the groundwork for a decarbonized future.

But one part of the clean energy conversation still gets less attention: nuclear. Specifically, a new class of ultra-safe, small-scale micro-reactors designed for a world where demand for power—from AI clusters to industrial decarbonization—is rising fast.

We spoke with Sam Gibson, founder and CEO of Hadron Energy, a startup developing advanced micro-reactors that are modular, safe, and built to meet the moment. While Hadron isn’t based in the Santa Cruz region, its work represents the kind of breakthrough thinking that local stakeholders—from policymakers to students—are eager to learn from.

California has long had a complicated relationship with nuclear, shaped by legacy projects like Diablo Canyon. But a new generation of innovators is making the case that nuclear energy can be radically safer, more flexible, and essential to our climate future.

Gibson, who has a background in mechanical and nuclear engineering and previously ran an HVAC servicing company for  data centers, launched Hadron in 2024. Today, it’s a 23-person team based in Redwood Shores with over 140 years of combined nuclear experience. Hadron has raised $1.7M to date and is currently raising a $10M round to scale operations.One of its recent hires is Shawn DeAngelo, who previously worked as a data center designer at Meta and was one of the lead engineers behind Tesla’s first Gigafactory—underscoring the caliber of talent entering into nuclear. 

“As data centers move from traditional server environments to high power GPUs, the need for energy has grown exponentially, and availability of power is becoming a constraint.  At the same time, trained resources to build complex data centers and infrastructure at the jobsite are stretched thin, necessitating a model where many of the cooling and electrical assemblies are built-off site more efficiently and with more consistent quality.  Hadron’s reactor manufacturing plan is consistent with this approach.” - Shawn DeAngelo, Hadron Energy Chief Development Officer

Hadron’s technology uses HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium) fuel rods to drive a Rankine steam cycle, producing 2 to 20 megawatts of 24/7, carbon-free electricity—enough to power up to 20,000 homes. Each modular reactor is shippable, can be set up onsite in about a week, and only needs refueling once every ten years. The microreactors are ideal for data centers, which are facing surging energy demands but have limited space and increasing pressure to decarbonize. Compared to other renewable sources, Hadron’s microreactors require 150 times less land than solar and 720 times less than wind for equivalent output.

Hadron is currently listed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy, and has drawn strong early interest from infrastructure operators and energy buyers looking for clean baseload power that can scale without sprawling land use or intermittency challenges.

Momentum for this new wave of nuclear energy is also beginning to build beyond the private sector. Last month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in upstate New York. This will be the state’s first new nuclear facility in decades. Designed to support a reliable, affordable, and clean electric grid as New York transitions away from aging fossil fuel plants, the initiative reflects a growing recognition that nuclear power must play a central role in meeting rising power demands from electrification and industrial development.

The plan calls for at least one new facility with a combined capacity of no less than one gigawatt—enough to power roughly one million homes. As part of the project, NYPA will evaluate advanced technologies, business models, and potential locations with a clear focus on public safety and community partnership.

This marks the first major state-level push to construct new nuclear power in over 15 years—and a major signal that advanced nuclear power is no longer fringe, but fundamental to our energy future.

“Today we witnessed New York leading the way with a modern and safe nuclear power plant development. There are going to be many exciting nuclear energy projects emerging as the renaissance continues. With the need for 200GW in America by 2030 alone, nuclear power will play a critical role in clean and scalable energy.” - Sam Gibson

“Getting listed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was a critical milestone that validated our commitment to regulatory transparency and safety from day one. The process began with the submission of a Regulatory Engagement Plan (REP), which outlined our licensing approach, technology overview, and anticipated development timeline. This starts the pre-application engagement with the NRC to receive feedback, build mutual understanding, and align on expectations before entering formal licensing.

The NRC values clarity of intent, a strong technical basis, and a collaborative posture. The public listing doesn’t just reflect progress, it also builds trust with investors, customers, and government stakeholders by showing you are operating within the U.S. regulatory framework. For Hadron, this milestone was not just a procedural checkbox but a signal of credibility and long-term readiness.” - Sam Gibson

As Santa Cruz continues to grow as a regional energy innovation hub, voices like Hadron’s can help expand how we think about the tools and technologies needed to reach a decarbonized, energy-abundant future.