Financial analysts and the financial media are going crazy about data centers and captive SMRs. Is 2030 still a reasonable target date for when SMRs will become operational?
It is the NRC that pushes the cost so high with unnecessary regulations. These are based on the fear generated by the debunked Linear No Threshold hypothesis, that ANY radiation can cause harm.
The players in the nuclear field have also invested huge capital to abide by these regs, and don't want new competition, so they continue the myth.
Thank you Robert, another good article. Struck by the Mark Nelson quote as in the middle of Asheville post Hur Helene recovery. Duke power and 21k lineman from US and Canada doing a great job. I would add water to the same quote. Our water just came back on yesterday from Woodfin Water. But Asheville could take weeks. Northport treatment center distribution lines broken and washed away (36” lines buried 25’, gone). As your friend Doomberg has said many times….”Energy is life”. Nat gas and Generac generator assisting me and my neighbors. Thanks.
There already is. Radioactive waste from Coal is in your lungs, and your backyard, and there is 10,000 times more of it than released from powerplants. Each Coal plant kills 100 people per year. The world's nuclear hasn't killed anyone in a decade. America's nuclear power fleet saved one million lives so far compared to coal. http://gotNuclear.net
While a scale-up of nuclear is welcome, it is baseload power and does not solve the problem of renewables' intermittency. Peaking gas plants and internal combustion based power are needed to dampen the swings of power availability caused by variable wind and solar. These swings require duplicate capacity availability and causes power prices to go up. The additional costs are currently shouldered by grid customers. The regulatory agencies should assign these increased system costs to renewable energy providers.
2% is not zero (to quote Mike Massimino (NASA) in his book "Moon Shot"). I am 511 years old (dog years, ha, ha). I have seen enough overnight wonders that took 10, 15 or more years to become overnight wonders to have a bit of multi-generational patience. If you need perspectives on how long things might meander, read David Reich's book "Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past". ~18,000 generations of modern humans wandering, breeding, thumping each other, etc. and not much changed. In the last 500 and especially the last 10 generations with the advent of agriculture, accounting, cheap hydrocarbons, division of labor, modern scientific methods, we have seen & lived the acceleration and might assume it always will be... We'll see.
Gadomski also pointed out that no new reactors are currently being built in the US. However, TerraPower has started constructing the non-nuclear part of its plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Kairos has done the same at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
These two sites,plus Vogle, appeared to me to be in non-restructured, electricity markets. It is my belief that the electricity markets themselves are part of the problem.
Yes, with big stipulations.........built by U.S. companies (owned), operated by U.S. companies, geology check - no earthquake (fracking) zone, stiff safety measures and anti-terrorist precautions, and water use or abuse the top rule after safety.
As a 42 year veteran of nuclear power (I was a junior in Nuclear engineering when TMI occurred), I am skeptical of a resurgence. The issue is the capital cost of building. To do this, you really need to use a public service commission model where the utility is encouraged to have energy diversity (and you don't have to bid to sell power). This no longer exists in the Northeast and Midwest (and just forget about the West Coast).
In addition, even when the asset is paid for, the cost to operate is higher than a combined cycle gas plant. We (the public) need to know that the energy cost will go up.
I think it is important to note that while nuclear is 10% of the US generation **capacity**, it supplies almost 20% of the actual electricity generated.
Nuclear bats well above any other source in capacity factor.
I am encouraged by lots of good news about nuclear power, much of it arising from the increasing demand from tech. However, even without this added impetus, the world needs a lot more clean energy to allow people everywhere lead healthy productive lives. I wish global agencies like the World Bank and IMF lift their ban on financing nuclear power projects.
Financial analysts and the financial media are going crazy about data centers and captive SMRs. Is 2030 still a reasonable target date for when SMRs will become operational?
It is the NRC that pushes the cost so high with unnecessary regulations. These are based on the fear generated by the debunked Linear No Threshold hypothesis, that ANY radiation can cause harm.
The players in the nuclear field have also invested huge capital to abide by these regs, and don't want new competition, so they continue the myth.
Please see the available information at
Radiationeffects.org
as well as
https://gordianknotbook.com/
Thank you Robert, another good article. Struck by the Mark Nelson quote as in the middle of Asheville post Hur Helene recovery. Duke power and 21k lineman from US and Canada doing a great job. I would add water to the same quote. Our water just came back on yesterday from Woodfin Water. But Asheville could take weeks. Northport treatment center distribution lines broken and washed away (36” lines buried 25’, gone). As your friend Doomberg has said many times….”Energy is life”. Nat gas and Generac generator assisting me and my neighbors. Thanks.
I’m sorry Mr. Bryce, nuclear energy is NOT green. If it was we could bury the nuclear waste in your backyard.
There already is. Radioactive waste from Coal is in your lungs, and your backyard, and there is 10,000 times more of it than released from powerplants. Each Coal plant kills 100 people per year. The world's nuclear hasn't killed anyone in a decade. America's nuclear power fleet saved one million lives so far compared to coal. http://gotNuclear.net
I respectfully disagree.
Great article. Thank you.
“But expanding the nuclear sector will, he said, require “strategic long-term thinking.” Unfortunately, we don’t do that anymore.
While a scale-up of nuclear is welcome, it is baseload power and does not solve the problem of renewables' intermittency. Peaking gas plants and internal combustion based power are needed to dampen the swings of power availability caused by variable wind and solar. These swings require duplicate capacity availability and causes power prices to go up. The additional costs are currently shouldered by grid customers. The regulatory agencies should assign these increased system costs to renewable energy providers.
2% is not zero (to quote Mike Massimino (NASA) in his book "Moon Shot"). I am 511 years old (dog years, ha, ha). I have seen enough overnight wonders that took 10, 15 or more years to become overnight wonders to have a bit of multi-generational patience. If you need perspectives on how long things might meander, read David Reich's book "Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past". ~18,000 generations of modern humans wandering, breeding, thumping each other, etc. and not much changed. In the last 500 and especially the last 10 generations with the advent of agriculture, accounting, cheap hydrocarbons, division of labor, modern scientific methods, we have seen & lived the acceleration and might assume it always will be... We'll see.
Another great article. Thank you!
Robert says:
Gadomski also pointed out that no new reactors are currently being built in the US. However, TerraPower has started constructing the non-nuclear part of its plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Kairos has done the same at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
These two sites,plus Vogle, appeared to me to be in non-restructured, electricity markets. It is my belief that the electricity markets themselves are part of the problem.
Yes, with big stipulations.........built by U.S. companies (owned), operated by U.S. companies, geology check - no earthquake (fracking) zone, stiff safety measures and anti-terrorist precautions, and water use or abuse the top rule after safety.
and Deep Fission
As a 42 year veteran of nuclear power (I was a junior in Nuclear engineering when TMI occurred), I am skeptical of a resurgence. The issue is the capital cost of building. To do this, you really need to use a public service commission model where the utility is encouraged to have energy diversity (and you don't have to bid to sell power). This no longer exists in the Northeast and Midwest (and just forget about the West Coast).
In addition, even when the asset is paid for, the cost to operate is higher than a combined cycle gas plant. We (the public) need to know that the energy cost will go up.
Robert, Thank you for all the free content over the years and for your continuing efforts towards energy sanity.
I understand the need to go paid. It makes a lot of sense. I can't subscribe at this time, but hopefully, that will change in the future.
I think it is important to note that while nuclear is 10% of the US generation **capacity**, it supplies almost 20% of the actual electricity generated.
Nuclear bats well above any other source in capacity factor.
This
paid Subscribed.
"we all have to eat".
Tony Soprano
:-)
I am encouraged by lots of good news about nuclear power, much of it arising from the increasing demand from tech. However, even without this added impetus, the world needs a lot more clean energy to allow people everywhere lead healthy productive lives. I wish global agencies like the World Bank and IMF lift their ban on financing nuclear power projects.
http://cmo-ripu.blogspot.com/2024/08/understanding-energy-three-video.html?m=0