See what entities are buying off who in DC and a good chance that the answer will appear.
The willfully and criminally blind in charge never run out of ways to disgust me.
“Lemhi pass along the Idaho-Montana border is “one of the world’s largest known high-quality thorium deposits”. “
You mean it’s not been designated a national monument yet?
Because we are a nation run by idiots and self serving politicians and other assorted green idiots who have no real knowledge of energy or how to use it properly and energy/oil companies that have enough money to buy off the right people...
[ Solar doesn’t even come close to what a thorium liquid salt reactor can do. We have built one before. We have already researched, developed and proven this technology. We have 6,000 hours of continuous full power use that proves it is viable. We have abundant thorium reserves. Lemhi pass along the Idaho-Montana border is “one of the world’s largest known high-quality thorium deposits”. Why is India pursuing this and we aren’t? ]
Because the Government’s Nuclear Reg commission’s close to Ties with GE. GE gotta maintain their monopoly on reprocessing fuel rods while they move jobs to china and pay ZERO in any taxes...
“Why is India pursuing this and we aren’t?”
Because it threatens the oil economy. Thorium can be extracted from coal. The heat generated by the reaction process can be used to transform the coal into fuel oil. You get electricity and fuel as a byproduct.
Total win win.
There is much more to "proof of viability" than a mere 6000 hours of operation. Beryllium is hugely toxic on a chemical basis, and the fluodide salts are highly corrosive.
"Why is India pursuing this and we aren't?"
Because, like Indonesia, they have a pot-full of monazite sands.
The above said, the US "should" have continuing research going on such plants....but until the public's attitude about fission power changes, there is no chance of funding bills passing Congress, and no company will invest in it without such assurances.