When It Comes to Nuclear Power, Companies Should Think Small
Look, it is very simple. The NRC regulates a nuclear power plant. After 3 mile island they became very careful of what they approve.
If you want to build one then you have to have a design that has been “approved” by the NRC. That takes years, mega man hours, and millions of $. Next, you have to apply for a construction/operating license that has to be “approved” by the NRC. That takes years, mega man hours, and millions of $. Oh, if one person doesn’t want to go along then you have to “work through the problem.” That can take years, mega man hours, and millions of $.
Even though all the new reactor “designs” with all of the safety systems to ensure that the plant would withstand a Design Basis Accident (DBA) with limited radiation release were approved in the ’80′s and ’90′s they still have to go through an “approval” process. It then becomes an economy of scale. You need large, base loaded plants (Nukes don’t like to change load)and you need replacement parts and the support systems manufactured on the economy of scale so that Companies Will Go Into Business to provide them to you and all of those companies have to pass NRC muster. The actual plant is not “That” expensive. The fuel is even cheap. It’s all of the regulation and record keeping that comes along with all of this. Anything associated with the Reactor has to have a pedigree (record trail) which means it has to pass muster all the way back to where it came out of the ground. All of this stuff was in place at one time and is being put in place again. If companies can’t make money, and many are very leery of this whole idea of bulding them again and making the huge investment, then you get nowhere.
Otherwise the small, portable reactors sound great. Oh, and what do you do with the fuel, eh? Get it from whom? Store the spent fuel where?
The terrorist idea? Those who espouse that idea have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what they are talking about. Go visit a nuclear plant if you don’t believe me.
