Nuclear Energy Progress and Regress: A Comparative Status Report

The U.S. nuclear energy movement is being strangled by red tape and regulation. Although we have 93 nuclear reactors operating at 54 nuclear power plants, there are currently only two new nuclear reactors that have been in the works lately, Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia. The first just came online and the second will soon follow. 

By way of contrast, many countries are committed to significant growth in this field. I asked Google for details on some of these countries currently experiencing the fastest adoption of nuclear power, and one that has fled in the other direction.

Here is what I learned.

China is one of the world's largest consumers of nuclear power and has been rapidly expanding its nuclear energy capacity in recent years. As of last year China had 55 nuclear power plants in operation, with 22 more under construction, and more than 70 others planned.  

 

Russia has long been a major player in the nuclear energy sector and despite its Chernoble setback, Russia continues to invest in the expansion and modernization of its nuclear power infrastructure. The Russian government sees nuclear power as a key component of its energy strategy and exports nuclear technology to other countries. They currently have 37 operable nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 27.7 GWe. These reactors are located at 11 nuclear power sites, including a floating plant in Pevek. Russia's nuclear plants generate more than 19% of the country's electricity.

India has ambitious plans to expand its nuclear energy capacity to meet growing energy demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As of February 2023, India had 22 nuclear power plants in operation, with a combined capacity of 6,780 megawatts electric (MWe). India plans to add 18 more nuclear power reactors with a capacity of 13,800 MWe by 2031-32.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a significant player in the nuclear energy sector, with the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which became operational in 2020. Thought the UAE government views nuclear power as a crucial component of its energy diversification strategy they currently have only three reactors.

South Korea, as of July 2023, has eight active nuclear plants. The government has proposed adding six more nuclear plants by 2036, and plans to increase nuclear generating capacity to 31.7 gigawatts (GW) by 2036. South Korea also plans to export 10 nuclear power plants by 2030. 

France, as of January 10, 2023, had 56 active nuclear reactors, with 12 of them off the grid. In 2022, France announced plans to build six new reactors, and in November 2023, President Emmanuel Macron said France could build eight new nuclear plants by the end of 2026. France's nuclear power plants account for about 70% of the country's electricity needs.

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The U.S., on the other hand, seems stymied by numerous handicaps. In 1994 Minnesota passed a moratorium on building nuclear power plants. Even if this were lifted, the turnaround time to get a new reactor online will take ages, it seems. At least we're not going the route of Germany.

Germany at one time had nine active nuclear facilities, including six research reactors and three nuclear fuel cycle facilities. In November 2022, the Bundestag passed an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act to keep the remaining three nuclear power plants in operation for a limited time. On April 15, 2023, the three remaining nuclear power plants shut down, marking the end of Germany's nuclear era.

Those countries actively investing in the expansion and adoption of nuclear power to meet energy demand, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance energy security are to be commended. The world we live in requires energy. Not only are we dependent on energy, we're dependent on cheap energy. 

Of all these things much more can be said. 

Related Links

Interview with David Watson: Putting Nuclear Power in Perspective

Grid Fragility and a Book by Meredith Angwin

Small Reactors, Big Potential Impact

IF ANYTHING HERE IS INACCURATE, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT

Tale of Two Countries: A Coronavirus Story and ONE BIG TAKEAWAY

Obviously the coronavirus story is like nothing any of us have ever experienced. We've read about the bubonic plague and the Spanish Flu epidemics but this is something new in my experience. The last time Major League Baseball shut down was because of a strike, not a pandemic. March Madness is cancelled, as are all kinds of other events where people gather.

It's not uncommon for the stock market to experience sharp declines, but the past three weeks there's blood in the streets like nothing I've ever seen before. (A euphemism for Red Ink.) Yowzer. (As I write this, futures are way up now for today on bipolar Wall Street.)

Friday, Reason.com had this update on the corona virus story after President Trump made some pronouncements about how we were going to defeat the corona virus. The article offered some instructive details regarding how Italy and South Korea responded to this health crisis. One nation has had a significantly different outcome from the other. Here are excerpts.

Italian public health authorities reported detecting the first 16 cases of local coronavirus transmission on February 21. By February 29, the outbreak had risen to more than 1,000 cases and the death toll stood at 29. Not even four weeks later, the country is reporting nearly 12,500 cases and almost 900 deaths.

By way of contrast, here is South Korea's response, and results.

In South Korea, the first community transmission of the virus was confirmed on February 19. By February 26, the number of confirmed cases had climbed to 1,261 and killed 12. At the time, the daily of rate of increase in cases reached 40 percent. To counteract the epidemic, the country's public health authorities engaged in a massive testing campaign featuring drive-by testing sites. As of yesterday, the number of cases had risen to nearly 7,900, with 66 deaths. But the daily rate of increase had slowed to just 1.5 percent. That slowdown is largely the result of the widespread testing, which let infected citizens know they should isolate themselves and helped public health workers track and monitor their contacts. 

Here's an excerpt from a Thailand email I received this morning with detail from that corner of the world:

The virus seems to behave differently in different countries. Almost nobody is wearing face masks here, not even at the huge "fresh market" where there are hundreds of booths selling all kinds of things, fresh veggies and meat included, and including egg rolls they make right there. Probably 1000+ people in there at any one time, a very few people with masks (none of the vendors, that I noticed), and some of the people with masks have them pulled down under their mouth, just around their chins. I carried one in my pocket, just in case the gov't started requiring them all of a sudden.

* * * *

HERE'S THE BIG TAKEAWAY
from all this distracting COVID-News.

If you're staying home because some of the events you usually go to have been cancelled, it might be a good time to turn you attention to that One Big Thing that you've been putting off for so long.

This is something I myself have been doing. Though I do write daily, I've been inwardly casting about for that next Big Thing. This past two weeks I've been assembling a book proposal. It's a lot of work, and that heavy lifting was what was holding me back, frightening me off from taking a stab at it. But there came a point at which I became aware that not writing this book was scarier than writing it.

HERE ARE SOME LINKS
to stories that can help you get started on your own One Big Thing.

How to Start the Big Project You’ve Been Putting Off
How to Finally Get Started on a Big Project or Idea: A Tip to Get You Started
5 No-Fail Ways to Finally Start Your Next Big Project
Eight Smart Ways to Tackle a Big Project