Every one of these types of threads pulls out the pro-nuclear folks. I get that nuclear is really cool, but I don't get why anyone loves paying billions for projects that take 10+ years to complete. And sometimes they don't even complete! In the meantime you could've setup many different alternative energy solutions, not just wind, could've done it in the fraction of the time and probably under-budget.
>I get that nuclear is really cool, but I don't get why
Because nuclear will never happen for the exact reasons you stated, but if people think it's a viable option and argue for it, it can be used to delay renewable transition, so that legacy Oil and Gas based producers can reap their insane revenue for an extra few years. It's literally just a delaying tactic.
If nuclear was even remotely economically viable, it would be part of a robust future energy mix. People abandon nuclear because it's not worth the effort when you can literally place a glass panel in unused land and get 1 KW/m^2 for 20 years with minimal intervention. Nobody would have to "vouche" for nuclear if it was economically meaningful. Look at Texas; Politically and economically, you would expect it to be very against renewables, as Texas has always been a fuel behemoth, with significant amounts of it's political establishment literally being oil barons, and now with using wind turbines being """woke"""
But they are still building out wind energy like no tomorrow, because it's so goddamned cheap and profitable.
You know this is a really ironic response to this thread. Many of us wish nuclear power didn't take 10+ years to build, but it does. How long is it going to take to change people's minds about this topic? Maybe the same amount as it might take to change your opinion on alternative energy sources.
At least alternative energy has less NIMBY people and more willing to take a shot at it.
Social licensing costs are just costs and won't go away just because you really really dislike them.
Besides, even if you could wave a magic wand and delete such costs, like the Chinese government can with their top down control of planning and media, it's still worse, as their revealed preferences demonstrate with their acceleration of renewables build-out and slowdown of nuclear build-out.