China is building scores of new nuclear power plants, seeking the latest technology from industry leaders while working to shore up its own expertise.
"This is an exciting day for the U.S. nuclear industry," Bodman said at the ceremony. "It is an example that if we work together we can advance not only our trade relations but also our common goal of energy security."
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Meanwhile, here in the US, energy security is nothing more than a hollow buzzword.
BOHICA
The positive side is that the billions of dollars for these facilities will help offset some of the trade deficit from vast Chinese imports into the U.S. Also, at least until they reverse engineer the technology, the PRC will be dependent on GE for upgrades, spare parts, fuel rods, etc.
Last I heard, China was going to be building literally hundreds of pebble-bed reactors, as safe, inexpensive energy for their rural areas.
I gather the way p-b reactors work is by making ceramic balls with radioactive material in them. Then you put them in a single layer on an egg-crate type surface, so they are a given distance apart. They need no controls, and produce a given amount of heat for a given length of time. When the nuclear material in the balls has expired, you just open the floor and dump the balls down a deep shaft for disposal.
It doesn't produce as much energy as a conventional reactor, but it is a lot cheaper and cleaner.