Mapping Out a Future Projection for Nuclear Energy in the United States

Merely existing as ominous, blank canvasses on our horizons, nuclear cooling towers are begging for an opportunity to become more aesthetically palatable. While brainstorming efforts are currently underway to produce cutting edge architectural designs for advanced reactors, the unattractive early generation cooling towers that currently decorate our skylines are indispensable in that they produce approximately 20% of the energy consumed in the United States. With the looming threat of nuclear power plant closures spreading across the nation, it seems clear that the nuclear energy industry, alongside its advocates, must start thinking outside the box in order to finally prove to the public that the energy source is safe, and crucial in the pursuit of eliminating emissions. But how? 

Before entering the field of nuclear energy policy and research, I maintained a successful career as an orchestral conductor. But it wasn’t until undergoing my career transition, that it became increasingly apparent that both nuclear energy and classical music share a startling number of traits which grievously contribute to their tenuous shelf lives. Both industries suffer paralyzing public perception issues; both harbor an inability to service the demands of their evolving client base; and both are haunted by a wealth of disinformation that has resulted in a lack of “street cred". These issues have plagued development within both the classical and nuclear worlds, ultimately limiting their levels of success in the twenty-first century. 

However, no issue plagues nuclear energy as pervasively as public distrust. Moreover, the saddest reality of nuclear energy’s current predicament is that public opinion is difficult to rectify via traditional means. In other words, attempting to move the favorability needle in any direction has seemed almost impossible for nuclear energy advocates given how entrenched partisan politics have become within the debate. Fresh ideas are needed to transform the way people literally view nuclear cooling towers. 

Throughout recent years, 3D projection mapping has become a staple component of live presentations around the globe. One cannot escape interactive live art projection installations on building exteriors, inside concert halls, in elaborate rTV productions, and even now at political rallies. The truth is that any surface can be manipulated through the use of 3D projection mapping in a transformative way to create something new and interesting — no matter the level of architectural mundanity. 

The global fascination with transforming building façades, via means of 3D projection mapping, has served as an inexpensive way of temporarily renovating urban landscapes in order to reframe the way we view the world in which we live. For example, the Usher Hall, Scotland’s premier concert venue, lights up the sky with its impressive— and highly acclaimed—commissioned art projections every year during the Edinburgh Music Festival. Further creative examples of 3D projection mapping include inventive evening transformations of the Sydney Opera House, and Disney’s bold move to forgo the use fireworks in their ‘Wishes’ show in favor of employing projection technologies. 

However, the intelligent process of dressing building exteriors with 3D projection mapping need not be limited to spaces that have made art and performance their wheelhouse. Larger projection mapping installations include citywide curations such as The Festival of Lights in Berlin in which countless projection mapping organizations compete for international awards and accolades. 

In sum, employing the transformative powers of 3D projection mapping on the façades of the current fleet’s dated cooling towers, could manifest as a most exciting, and inexpensive way for the nuclear energy industry to activate the cathartic process of mending the stubborn public trust deficit that has, thus far, halted progress in ushering in a nuclear renaissance in the United States.