Congress passes bill to jumpstart new nuclear power tech
The US Congress passed the ADVANCE Act to expedite advanced nuclear technology deployment for clean energy. It streamlines permitting, offers cash incentives, and addresses economic challenges. NuScale and TerraPower lead in innovation. President Biden's signature is awaited for the bill to become law.
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The US Congress has passed the ADVANCE Act, aimed at accelerating the deployment of versatile, advanced nuclear technology for clean energy. The bill seeks to streamline permitting for newer reactor technology and provide cash incentives for companies building new plants using specific technologies. Despite bipartisan support, concerns remain about the economic challenges facing nuclear power. The bill focuses on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's role in licensing nuclear reactor technology and offers incentives for advanced nuclear technology development. Companies developing advanced nuclear technologies will benefit from reduced licensing fees and potential refunds upon meeting specific milestones. NuScale and TerraPower are highlighted as frontrunners in the race to achieve these milestones. While the bill aims to boost innovation in nuclear power, challenges such as rising costs and technological feasibility remain. The legislation now awaits President Biden's signature to become law, with a focus on promoting cleaner energy solutions in the United States.
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2 commentsThis seems like a mistake. China are something like an entire technology generation ahead at this point.
The US isn't used to playing from behind, but realistically they should probably copy China's strategy for bootstarting industries since it clearly works. I'm not sure what China's strategy actually is, but it is clear a component of it involves foreign investment from powers that are potentially hostile but have advanced capabilities. Then appropriating the technology. The US should open that option up to themselves.
> And an academic analysis has found that safety regulations play only a small role in US costs.
And this sounds like a bad conclusion to a study. I mean, I could put out a study saying that softballs defy gravity because they were observed with an upward-pointing velocity vector and dismiss the thrown-ball hypothesis because the pitcher isn't in physical contact with the ball so can't be influencing it at that point in time.
The actual study done is pretty good, I went to have a read of it and there is lots of interesting data. But they are being unimaginative about the indirect effects of a hostile regulatory environment. Looking at a negative learning rate and collapsing labour productivity then concluding "well, gee, that just must be nuclear" is the type of stupidity that only clever people can achieve. There is no reason except regulation that an industry would perform that way. They need much stronger evidence to come to that sort of extraordinary claim.
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