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I find it interesting that people who advocate we make major policy changes to avert a climate disaster refuse to entertain making minor policy changes to reduc
by q1w2 5y ago
I find it interesting that people who advocate we make major policy changes to avert a climate disaster refuse to entertain making minor policy changes to reduce the cost and timeline of nuclear power plant construction.
China builds literally dozens of 1GW plants simultaneously for a fraction of the price, and in a fraction of the time, using western nuclear companies.
The time and cost limitation are entirely avoidable if we make sensible policy changes.
1. We need to issue an executive order opening the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. This one facility can hold ALL the nuclear waste we will make even if we move to 100% nuclear power.
2. We need to immunize nuclear plants from environmental lobby lawsuits which constantly delay projects and multiply costs.
These two changes ALONE will make nuclear plant construction attractive again in the US. Remember that large capital cost finance for profitable projects is not a problem. It's literally what Wall Street was built for. We wouldn't even need to fund the plants with gov't money.
- Bayart 5y agoPolicy makers already have to battle deeply entrenched cultural attitudes towards nuclear technology. They can't be seen as lowering the safety measures for it too.