The Anthropocene Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Carl Page that is committed to improving human well-being through affordable and sustainable energy solutions. The Anthropocene Institute conducts research, engages policymakers and educates the public on nuclear and other clean energy sources that reduce emissions while strengthening the economy.

Nearly every industry of the economy is affected by energy prices, including data centers, housing, manufacturing and transportation. The Anthropocene Institute examines how replacing coal and natural gas plants with nuclear facilities can lower costs while improving environmental outcomes. Clearly communicating these trade-offs to business leaders and policymakers in a digestible manner remains challenging.

Visualizing Nuclear Energy in Michigan is an interactive web application that enables users to explore alternative energy scenarios and immediately see projected economic effects across the state. Users adjust the coal, natural gas and nuclear generation mix on a map of Michigan, then compare current and projected energy prices, production levels and industry-specific costs. An additional innovations feature suggests how abundant electricity can support future investments such as data centers and desalination plants.

The platform emphasizes transparency through definite comparisons, documented data sources over both conservative and optimistic scenarios, giving users the tools to evaluate outcomes for themselves. By translating complex models into accessible visualizations, the system helps stakeholders better understand how clean, reliable power can shape Michigan’s economic future.

The front end is built with ReactJS and the back end uses Python FastAPI with SQL storage. Machine learning models developed in PyTorch generate price projections. Docker containers deploy the system to Google Cloud.