[Zigurd]

Please. Show me a nuke that was under 10 billion over budget and less than 20 years late.

Seriously. Don't even try to insert nuclear power into the debate before you show it can be competently built, never mind safely run and waste safely disposed. But what about the French you say! The French are discovering they forgot to set aside money for decommissioning.

[SanDiegoSun]

This seems to be a western issue. China has been producing nuclear reactors quite cost effectively.

Radiant with their modular reactors seems to be doing quite well.

[bell-cot]

If you look at how much time and money the French poured into their nuclear plant construction project (and several other pre-decommissioning issues) things look rather less rosy.

Also, it was a very high priority for France - keep in mind Napoleon's quote about the relative importance of moral and material.

More critically: The logic of "The French did {extremely complex thing} fairly well in the late 1900's, therefore we can also" is very similar to the logic of "SpaceX designs and operates reusable rockets with hundreds of launches per year and no failures, therefore we can also". NO, sorry, you are just fantasizing about rocket science somehow being easy for you. SpaceX has lots of highly motivated would-be competitors - many of them far better financed than SpaceX was - but the hard fact is that zero of those can actually do what SpaceX is doing.

[leonidasrup]

Over 15 years France installed 56 nuclear reactors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_France#Messme...

The costs were not small, but probably smaller than the costs of German Energiewende. Messmer plan needed not only money, but also capable heavy industry and consistent political support.

https://theinnovationattorney.substack.com/p/the-messmer-pla...

https://carboncredits.com/nuclear-education-how-germany-lost...

Had France have such rich coal reserves as Germany, they would probably build coal power plants instead of nuclear power plants.

Germany 39022 millions short tons

France 176 millions short tons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coal_rese...