Small Modular Reactors: Still too expensive, too slow and too risky

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) ^ | May 29, 2024 | David Schlissel and Dennis Wamsted

[bigbob]

Bingo. We need a space race national priority on SMR development.

[shanover]

“Karen” has destroyed America. Mission accomplished.

[sauropod]

.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Abundant cheap energy is the only way out of our economic mess.

But many do not want us to find a way out of our economic mess...

[Jeff Chandler]

Power X

[The_Media_never_lie]

* Small modular reactors still look to be too expensive, too slow to build, and too risky to play a significant role in transitioning from fossil fuels in the coming 10-15 years.

*****************

What is the damn rush? I feel like we are being railroaded.

[Reeses]

The cost of the SMR will drop once in production.

Yes, but not enough, because fundamentally, small is nowhere near the optimum point on the current economies of scale curve. The idea behind small and modular is that the reactors can be built in one neighbor's backyard, then shipped far away overnight into another's backyard. That way, the neighbor doesn't have enough time to use the court system to bankrupt the investors. That's clever, but not terribly economic.