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So what is holding back the safer/efficient reactors? Certification funding or proof of concept that leads to industry acceptance and federal funding?
by Shivetya 10y ago
So what is holding back the safer/efficient reactors? Certification funding or proof of concept that leads to industry acceptance and federal funding?
- Aelinsaar 10y agoMostly politics. At every level, there is resistance, and motivation for politicians in congress (especially senators) to take a strong pro-coal, NIBMY to Nuclear stance. Any senator who accepts a disposal site, or new reactor site in their state is putting their career in the line. The kind of people who do that, tend not to become or stay senators. The end result is that we're just sitting it out, because we've made it prohibitively expensive (in terms of licensing, and in terms of political capital).
- damptowel 10y agoPopular support. Legacy of Cold War era anti nuke propaganda and ridiculous portrayal of reactors and nuclear waste in fiction have lead to a skewed public perception on which politicians don't want to get burnt. Fukushima happened. Paperwork gets expensive. Active failsafe systems several layers deep complicate construction of plants. All of this loops back onto corporations and public institutions not wanting to invest into research.