The Future of Nuclear Energy
Virtually all of the above applications to the NRC were submitted prior to the economic downturn, when sponsors anticipated increasing demand for electricity. Since then, demand has decreased. However, a modest U.S. economic recovery has not generated renewed interest from project sponsors. According to the DOE, all of the applications in Table 17.2 are still “under review.” Given the lengthy, 42-month-long review process and changing market demands for new electric power-generation capacity, nothing will happen quickly.
The construction process for a nuclear reactor itself is north of five years. One can easily envision project cost increases in the middle of the construction process. In most, if not all cases, energy ...
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