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by cbrozefsky 780 days ago
No, it would not, not even people who make their living building Nuclear plants would claim that. It's incredibly expensive and risk to build the plants, they couldn't even build them to meet the needs of the grid near unlimited money. It would require more than halving the capital requirements to get close to break even with renweables, and they cannot touch fossil plants.

The shifting of blame to environmentalists is ludicrous. It's economic reality, that a much lower capital requirements, and zero marginal cost energy that has radically less complex engineering requirements and doesn't leave radioactive waste behind or blech it out when something goes wrong.
3 comments
EricE 780 days ago
Speaking of China and new reactor designs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVqU5EPJSsM
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EricE 780 days ago
The majority of negative economics with nuclear are from asinine policy decisions as well as tilted markets with subsidies for other sources. Lithium reactors would burn fuel that we idiotically label as waste and try to bury. China has picked up what we abandoned in the 50's; woe be to us when they scale modern reactor designs. Cheap, reliable and sustainable energy built the west - we are pissing that away over a bunch of overactive fear mongering. And if you think emerging markets are going to abandon fossil fuels and the advantages they brought us "because feelings" you are utterly delusional.

If the oceans are really in threat of rising, why did the Obamas buy multi-million dollar compound at sea level? Actions speak louder than words.

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MagnumOpus 779 days ago
> couldn't even build them to meet the needs of the grid near unlimited money

France did, with very limited money.

> It would require more than halving the capital requirements to get close to break even with renweables

France - the cost of their nuclear build-out 50 years ago made nuclear about the same cost as solar/wind (7c/kWh)

> they cannot touch fossil plants

Of course fossil plants get shut down if there is political will. (Yes France has barely any anymore, and the same goes for a number of other countries)

> much lower capital requirements

If you don't count the grid enhancement and the batteries needed for Dunkelflaute.

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