David Schlissel: NuScale's plan for small modular reactors shows no promise of being better than solar and wind.
An artist’s rendering of NuScale Power’s small modular nuclear reactor plant. Photo courtesy of NuScaleSolar and wind power, augmented by battery storage, are becoming less expensive. Hydropower and geothermal energy already are providing substantial amounts of power in many parts of the country. Cost-effective, proven technologies exist and can speed the transition to a carbon-free economy.
Nuclear advocates often claim that the costs of nuclear reactors fall after a first design, which would be very good news for the NuScale design. Unfortunately, the nuclear industry has never shown the ability to take advantage of a learning curve, and there is no evidence to suggest that it will be able to do so now. A 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found the costs ofare more expensive than the original project, which is very bad news for the NuScale design.
Think corporations like Georgia Power, which are posting record profits, will pick up the tab? Think again: Residential consumersTo be sure, nuclear energy has some advantages. It doesn’t emit carbon dioxide, takes up a relatively small amount of space and produces large amounts of energy. Its advantages, however, become far less apparent when the costs of a nuclear facility — and the time that it takes to build even a modest-sized project — are considered.
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