DoomsdaysCW<p>Five Things the “<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearBros" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearBros</span></a>” Don’t Want You to Know About <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SmallModularReactors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SmallModularReactors</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SMRs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SMRs</span></a> </p><p>by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EdwinLyman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EdwinLyman</span></a>, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UCS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UCS</span></a>)<br>April 30, 2024</p><p>"Even casual followers of energy and climate issues have probably heard about the alleged wonders of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). This is due in no small part to the 'nuclear bros': an active and seemingly tireless group of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearPower</span></a> advocates [<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trolls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trolls</span></a>] who dominate social media discussions on energy by promoting SMRs and other 'advanced' <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/nuclear" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>nuclear</span></a> technologies as the only real solution for the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateCrisis</span></a>.</p><p>"But as I showed in my 2013 and 2021 reports, the hype surrounding SMRs is way overblown, and my conclusions remain valid today.</p><p>"Unfortunately, much of this SMR happy talk is rooted in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/misinformation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>misinformation</span></a>, which always brings me back to the same question: If the nuclear bros have such a great SMR story to tell, why do they have to exaggerate so much? </p><p>What are SMRs?</p><p>"SMRs are nuclear reactors that are 'small' (defined as 300 megawatts of electrical power or less), can be largely assembled in a centralized facility, and would be installed in a modular fashion at power generation sites. Some proposed SMRs are so tiny (20 megawatts or less) that they are called 'micro' reactors. SMRs are distinct from today’s conventional nuclear plants, which are typically around 1,000 megawatts and were largely custom-built. Some SMR designs, such as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuScale" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuScale</span></a>, are modified versions of operating water-cooled reactors, while others are radically different designs that use coolants other than water, such as liquid sodium, helium gas, or even molten salts.</p><p>"To date, however, theoretical interest in SMRs has not translated into many actual reactor orders. The only SMR currently under construction is in China. And in the United States, only one company—<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerraPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerraPower</span></a>, founded by Microsoft’s Bill Gates — has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a permit to build a power reactor (but at 345 megawatts, it technically isn’t even an SMR).</p><p>"The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearIndustry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearIndustry</span></a> has pinned its hopes on SMRs primarily because some recent large reactor projects, including <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Vogtle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Vogtle</span></a> units 3 and 4 in the state of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GeorgiaUSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GeorgiaUSA</span></a>, have taken far longer to build and cost far more than originally projected. The failure of these projects to come in on time and under budget undermines arguments that modern nuclear power plants can overcome the problems that have plagued the nuclear industry in the past.</p><p>"Developers in the industry and the US Department of Energy say that SMRs can be less costly and quicker to build than large reactors and that their modular nature makes it easier to balance power supply and demand. They also argue that reactors in a variety of sizes would be useful for a range of applications beyond grid-scale electrical power, including providing process heat to industrial plants and power to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DataCenters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DataCenters</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/cryptocurrency" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>cryptocurrency</span></a> mining operations, petrochemical production, and even electrical vehicle [<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EV</span></a>] charging stations.</p><p>"Here are five facts about SMRs that the nuclear industry and the 'nuclear bros' who push its message don’t want you, the public, to know."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://blog.ucs.org/edwin-lyman/five-things-the-nuclear-bros-dont-want-you-to-know-about-small-modular-reactors/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blog.ucs.org/edwin-lyman/five-</span><span class="invisible">things-the-nuclear-bros-dont-want-you-to-know-about-small-modular-reactors/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HoltecLies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HoltecLies</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearPower</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearLies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearLies</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TEPCOLied" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TEPCOLied</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoNukes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoNukes</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoNukesForAI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoNukesForAI</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies</span></a></p>
eupolicy.social is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
This Mastodon server is a friendly and respectful discussion space for people working in areas related to EU policy. When you request to create an account, please tell us something about you.
Administered by:
Server stats:
199active users
eupolicy.social: About · Profiles directory · Privacy policy
Mastodon: About · Get the app · Keyboard shortcuts · View source code · v4.4.1
#vogtle
0 posts · 0 participants · 0 posts today
Bytes Europe<p>The Nuclear Power Dealmaking Boom Is Real <a href="https://www.byteseu.com/1264143/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">byteseu.com/1264143/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/amazon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>amazon</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/ChrisWright" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ChrisWright</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/google" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>google</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Helion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Helion</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/InflationReductionAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>InflationReductionAct</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/InflationReductionActTaxCredits" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>InflationReductionActTaxCredits</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/kairos" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>kairos</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Lightbridge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Lightbridge</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/microsoft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>microsoft</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Nuclear" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Nuclear</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/NuclearRegulatoryCommission" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NuclearRegulatoryCommission</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Nuscale" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Nuscale</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Oklo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Oklo</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/OneBigBeautifulBillAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OneBigBeautifulBillAct</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/TennesseeValleyAuthority" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TennesseeValleyAuthority</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>trump</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Trump47" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump47</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/vogtle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>vogtle</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/XEnergy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>XEnergy</span></a></p>
Walt Baldwin<p>"Now that Vogtle is done Georgia Power is looking for new ways to spend billions, and they decided on biomass. The request? Billions of dollars for...79 megawatts. That is not a typo."</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/EnergyMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnergyMastodon</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/EnergyTransition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnergyTransition</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Vogtle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Vogtle</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Georgia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Georgia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Climate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Climate</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/georgia-public-service-commissioners-war-power-customers-patty-durand-940xe" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">linkedin.com/pulse/georgia-pub</span><span class="invisible">lic-service-commissioners-war-power-customers-patty-durand-940xe</span></a></p>
Henri Horn<p>Price tag on <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/nuclear" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>nuclear</span></a> ambitions in <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Sweden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Sweden</span></a>:<br>400 billion SEK (38bn.USD) to build 4 or 5 new reactors totalling 4-6 GW.<br>Seems optimistic, as <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Vogtle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Vogtle</span></a> and <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/HinkleyPointC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HinkleyPointC</span></a> only got 2 reactors for that price. But at least those projects weren't cancelled, like <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/VCSummer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VCSummer</span></a> and <a href="https://mastodon.energy/tags/Fennovoima" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fennovoima</span></a>.</p><p>Government would offer cheap loans (300 bn.SEK) and fixed tariff 80 öre/kWh (7,7 USct/kWh) for 40 years, twice the recent market price.</p><p>Opposition calls this a waste of taxpayer money.</p><p><a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/utredning-om-finansiering-for-ny-karnkraft-presenterad-beraknas-kosta-400-miljarder" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/utredni</span><span class="invisible">ng-om-finansiering-for-ny-karnkraft-presenterad-beraknas-kosta-400-miljarder</span></a></p>
TrendingLive feeds
Mastodon is the best way to keep up with what's happening.
Follow anyone across the fediverse and see it all in chronological order. No algorithms, ads, or clickbait in sight.
Create accountLoginDrag & drop to upload