I could not write more strongly about the need to switch to 4th gen reactors.

We have the technology to make them impossible to melt down.

We have the technology to have a complete fuel cycle that will recover unspent fissionables.

We need about another 200 of them.

Even at the cost of 2 billion per plant, it is still cheaper than the bailout to build them and, the project will pay for itself in the long run as it will ultimately stop us hemorrhaging money to hostile nations.

This would also create tens of thousands of jobs.

It is a scientific solution. It is an economically sensible solution. It is a politically sensible solution in terms of not letting foreign regimes hold us hostage - particularly if we use the reactors to power electric and advanced hybrid vehicles.

So why do we not do this?

NIMBY is one reason. Deep opposition by vested interests is another. And lastly, we can not forget the history of nuclear energy in America.

Lots of industry and economic types like to go into regulations killing them…

Well too bad.

Such a project needs to be run like the navy does it. In teh Navy, they have the attitude that if something goes wrong, their shipmates die, there is a terrible international incident, and last but not least you loose a two billion dollar boat.

The public needs to be convinced that any new reactors will be run with that sort of a standard.

Honestly I do not think that private industry is the way to go with such projects. Wall Street won’t fund them and the public is too wary. This is
has to come from Washington because no one else will do it, and only Washington has the authority to tell NIMBY people too bad.

Please remember, the Navy, a government organization, does a damn fine job. This needs to be a national project funded on the national level, with a person like Rickover involved from the get go to prevent shenanigans from the various contractors.

Some large profile violators (and there will always be those who game the system, with extra unexpected costs, shoddy workmanship, cutting corners etc…) would need to be put in prison early on as examples.

In addition, solar, wind and battery technologies need to be deployed.

At present technologies, if we really cared, for again, costs like those of the bailout, we could have achieved energy independence and solved much of our emissions problems.

The fact that we do not, when the tech is already here, and it is sensible to do anyway for it’s own merit (do you like funding Chavez and the Saudis?) depresses me.