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Pastimes : The Case for Nuclear Energy
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From: TimF6/2/2021 1:39:27 PM
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cracked_mud6
1 month ago

Saying that nuclear is, "expensive" is overly simplistic. The issue of cost is entirely due to regulation. Calling these regulations, "excessive" doesn't even come close to explaining it. The regulations are written with the express intention of making nuclear so expensive that it isn't economical. I worked on the construction of the last nuclear plant to be built in the US and any time I mention what goes on during the construction of these plants I am called a liar. People who haven't worked in nuclear literally won't believe how bad the regulations are. My first project was a design change to switch 4 light fixtures from high pressure sodium to fluorescent. It took a 300 page design document to make this change! Actual significant design changes can easily take thousands of pages of engineering. A common joke is that the paper outweighs the reactor itself. If you actually look at the number of valves, the linear feet of pipe and cable, the cubic yards of concrete etc and compare it to a non-nuclear installation you'll realize nuclear plants aren't even that complicated. The only issue is it takes 10x as many man hours to actually install anything compared to what it would take at a non-nuclear installation. If the regulations for nuclear were the same as a natural gas plant nuclear would instantly become not just competitive, but cheap.

PS: And the most important thing to understand is that all these regulations don't increase safety. They arguably decrease it. This is because the cost and time of redesigning anything is so high that outdated technology is used which would never be used in a modern natural gas or coal plant. The plant computer at the plant I was working at was running on a 386 processor for instance and that was considered a "new" design.
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