Michael J. Ford, Ph.D., is a nuclear engineer and energy policy researcher whose work sits at the intersection of energy security, risk assessment, and complex technology development. He is co-founder of Femto Energy, developing marine-based nuclear power solutions for grid and off-grid applications, and serves as a Senior Scientist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where his research spans technoeconomics and risk assessment of next-generation energy systems. Earlier in his career, Dr. Ford was a Science, Technology, and Policy Research Fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center and Strategy Development Director for Energy and Global Security at Argonne National Laboratory, where he led a national siting study for advanced nuclear reactors — experience that speaks directly to the infrastructure and siting challenges now facing energy-hungry data centers and AI systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and has published extensively on the risks and economics of energy infrastructure development.