[Hiddigeigei]

'On a theoretical level I love nuclear power, but the reality this century has been stories like this. Billions over budget and years late. Every alternative power source you can imagine would have been cheaper and faster than a plant like this."
I live in Miami, Florida. Our Turkey Point two nuclear generators has been supplying us with lights and energy now for a couple of decades (although there is a natural gas generation there also). Why don't they just use the engineering blue prints of successful nuclear power plants with minor modifications for existing geological conditions to build new one?

[Renfrew]

“Why don’t they just use the engineering blue prints of successful nuclear power plants with minor modifications for existing geological conditions to build new one?”

It’s a good idea, but reality is more complicated. For example the Turkey Point water pumps would be a model that was discontinued 30 years ago.

You need a current model of pumps, but that then requires redoing the piping design. That requires a new set of valves. All elements require a new set of sensors.

Repeat 1000 times for all the different components, and you have now designed an entire new plant.