rayYou are being misled about renewable energy technology.
He lives in Illinois, the state with over 50% of it’s electricity provided by Nuclear Energy. I really wish people who are all about renewable energy would acknowledge the extremely important role nuclear power should hold even in the future. He mentions nuclear as an aside, but there really should be a wider push amongst environmentalists for emissions free nuclear reactors.
Allow existing nuclear to keep operating? Yes
Allow new nuclear to be built, assuming the constructors fully finance and assume the risk of the project themselves? Also yes
Subsidize nuclear over renewables? No
Allow nuclear to be used as a wedge for the fossil fuel propaganda machine to keep their emissions going, since building nuclear takes decades and costs far more than renewables, displacing potential investment in renewables? Not a chance in hell
I have nothing ideological against nuclear, but it is way overdue that nuclear boosters face the music and acknowledge what role the technology is having in the political landscape at the moment.
building nuclear takes decades
regulatory: 3-5 years
site prep and build: 3-5 years
stocking, staffing, startup: 1-2 years
If we rush the regulatory, it’s then 4-7 years; or not even one decade.
I’m not saying it’s overnight, but it’s not ‘decades’.
Rushing regulatory for a construction project where failures are as severe as they can potentially be with nuclear is beyond deranged.
Getting to the timelines you’re mentioning would require a mature nuclear industry with standardized builds, something which would take more than a decade to develop, at a steep premium.
Again, I support any investor willing to go there to do so, but there’s a good reason none do - these things quite simply do not pencil out.
Where’s a real world example of a nuclear plant being built in just 4 years? In the US it’s more like 10 years, at least.
No one’s building them because they’re barely profitable even after they’re up and running for many years.
Where’s a real world example of a nuclear plant being built in just 4 years?
Chinese SMR.
reuters.com/…/china-start-commercial-operation-fi…
Ontario is building 4 SMRs, the first will be operational in 2028.
Why is profitability a requirement for infrastructure? Is mass-transit profitable? Is air travel profitable? Are highways profitable? Are suburbs profitable? Why is that even a concern?
PolandIsAStateOfMindWhere’s a real world example of a nuclear plant being built in just 4 years?
39 months for Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Japan
anon5621
SMRs take a few years, and a fraction of the price, which is why China is building them and already has one on line.