Arthur Andersen employees were also affected the Enron scandal.
PAT SULLIVAN, STF / AP
But the Enron Egg is no normal egg, company leadership claimed the device is a “micro-nuclear reactor” capable of powering entire homes. Enron CEO Connor Gaydos made the announcement in a video that the company claimed was from the Enron Power Summit, an event for which the Chronicle was unable to confirm the location, date or time.
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“Ladies and gentlemen, we have harnessed the power of the atom, introducing the Enron egg, the world’s first micro nuclear reactor for residential, suburban use,” Gaydos said in the video. “This little device can power your entire home for up to 10 continuous years.”
Gaydos and Enron have made lofty promises for the company’s supposed return in what has appeared to be a publicity stunt thus far. Skeptics have pointed to a clause on Enron’s website labeling its content as parody. Gaydos addressed that criticism in a post on X made Friday afternoon.
“As if I didn’t know people would immediately find that in our Terms of Service. People sharing it around like they’re forest gumbo discovering the shrimp business,” Gaydos wrote. “Putting performance art in our terms of service is the highest IQ behavior possible in the age of rogue government bureaucrat witch hunts.”
Gaydos claims the Enron Egg is safe for in-home use because it has 20% enriched uranium, which is below the 90% threshold typically used in nuclear weapons, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a public policy organization geared toward the responsible and ethical application of science. Uranium that is 20% enriched is still classified as “highly enriched uranium” and can still be used in weapons, according to the union.
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“Weapons-grade HEU is typically enriched to 90 percent uranium-235 or more, but all HEU can potentially be used to make nuclear weapons with sufficient quantity and expertise,” the union wrote in a blog post. “In addition, despite a widespread belief that high-assay low-enriched uranium cannot be used directly in a nuclear weapon, independent analysis strongly suggests that it is weapon-usable, although the required quantities are larger than for weapons-grade HEU.”
Despite this, Gaydos claimed he has personally used an Enron Egg to power his own home and that his kids “freaking love it,” and that his family used it on camping trips.
Gaydos also claimed Enron has teamed up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide Enron Eggs to rapid response teams around the world. The Chronicle reached out to FEMA but the agency was not immediately available for comment.
Enron’s chief technology officer, Daniel Wong, claimed the device can run continuously for 10 years before needing to be refueled.
“Each unit provides a reliable output of 200 amps, delivering continuous power for up to 10 years before requiring refueling,” Wong said. “At the heart of the egg lies a uranium zirconium hydride fueled reactor chosen for its safety and efficiency. The nuclear reactor is precisely regulated by nine ball run control drums located around the perimeter to maintain ballast and stability.”
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While company leadership’s claims regarding the Enron Egg appear significant, neither Gaydos nor Wong shared any information regarding the company’s plan to address the strict licensing and regulatory processes that govern operating a nuclear reactor.
Although an at-home reactor for private use would likely not be considered a commercial reactor, which require especially strict licensing processes, the Enron Egg would still be a “research reactor” — those that do not power a grid — and operators would need a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulator Commission, according to their website.
