The factors cited were inflation and higher interest rates, which are going to be universally applicable.
Cost overruns at Vogtle and others had inflation as a partial factor but the bigger issues, per the DOE:
"Work began with incomplete designs and managers repeatedly failed to realistically schedule tasks. Experienced workers were in short supply and defective work often had to be redone. Workers quit for other jobs and the COVID-19 pandemic led to high absenteeism."
So a pass on Covid impact but the rest is the result of building a huge bespoke power plant. SMRs change all of that to units of mass production.
I'm sure there's still issues to solve there but if nuclear has a future competing against low cost renewables then that SMRs seem to be the only way forward.
Cost overruns at Vogtle and others had inflation as a partial factor but the bigger issues, per the DOE:
"Work began with incomplete designs and managers repeatedly failed to realistically schedule tasks. Experienced workers were in short supply and defective work often had to be redone. Workers quit for other jobs and the COVID-19 pandemic led to high absenteeism."
So a pass on Covid impact but the rest is the result of building a huge bespoke power plant. SMRs change all of that to units of mass production.
I'm sure there's still issues to solve there but if nuclear has a future competing against low cost renewables then that SMRs seem to be the only way forward.