As someone who is pro nuclear from the standpoint of it makes sense as a transitional technology to displace carbon emitting sources while we discover and deplo

As someone who is pro nuclear from the standpoint of it makes sense as a transitional technology to displace carbon emitting sources while we discover and deploy carbon neutral technologies, I was stuck on one detail of nuclear - a surprisingly finite fuel supply. At the current rate of consumption, we currently have about 100 years of obtainable uranium 235 on earth available to mine. Alternative means of obtaining uranium are enrichment of significantly more available U238 and experimental techniques like saltwater extraction - both of which are very expensive processes and have not been deployed at the scale required for electricity production. Due to how polarizing this subject is and the fact that I know no nuclear engineers, I haven't yet gotten a straight answer on what we will do when the fuel runs out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power#Uranium_resources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power#Uranium_resource... > One analysis found that for uranium prices could increase by two orders of magnitudes between 2035 and 2100 and that there could be a shortage near the end of the century.[70] A 2017 study by researchers from MIT and WHOI found that "at the current consumption rate, global conventional reserves of terrestrial uranium (approximately 7.6 million tonnes) could be depleted in a little over a century".[71] Limited uranium-235 supply may inhibit substantial expansion with the current nuclear technology.[72] While various ways to reduce dependence on such resources are being explored,[73][74][75] new nuclear technologies are considered to not be available in time for climate change mitigation purposes or competition with alternatives of renewables in addition to being more expensive and require costly research and development.[72][76][77] A study found it to be uncertain whether identified resources will be developed quickly enough to provide uninterrupted fuel supply to expanded nuclear facilities[78]