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Yeh, my baseline understanding of nuclear is that it's actually the cleanest and safest, per kwh anyway.
However, insiders will tell you that the problem with nuclear is that it's actually one of the most expensive, per kwh.
But when I ask them whether it's expensive because of things like bureaucratic red tape and insurance, or whether it's expensive due to something physical/chemical, they agree that the high cost is probably mostly red tape
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The rules around nuclear in the US are absurd. I've looked into it. It is amazing we even have any. It's the reason we don't have more.
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The Diablo Canyon plant they mention in the story has been scheduled for shut down for a while. They keep postponing it. The area it is in is pretty progressive leaning and yet the desire to keep it open is growing there and has been for years.
Not only that but a couple of the converted fossile fuel plants in the area have been converted to battery farms. These as well as natural gas plants are typical when trying to move to solar power generation. These battery facilities have suffered multiple fires spewing toxic plums into the air in this beautiful coastal region of California. An area dominated by environmentalists. There are loud protests to shut down these battery facilities.
This area is very anti-trump and I have chuckled when I visit and read the local papers agreeing with Trump's criticisms of solar, wind, and battery as energy sources.
The simple reality is that even though California has switched to solar in a massive way it is simply not enough, not reliable enough, and not environmentally sound enough alone to replace nuclear.
Most people are very ignorant of nuclear power. How safe it is. How even though worst events in history around it have been greatly exaggerated. Then, when you consider that modern nuclear power generation is much more safe, clean, and efficient. Not to mention smaller as a footprint. You start to wonder... how long until people realize we are behaving irrationally.
The truth is, people do not want to give up their modern lifestyle. They just want to feel good. They hate power outages. Nuclear is coming back. Even in a state like California. This is good news for everyone.