Nuclear plants in Wash ...yes or no

[rantiquity]

Right now in the US there are 54 nuclear plants in operation and three being built. Most are located in the East and Southeast.

Maybe if the Satsop nuclear plant was allowed to be built back in the 80's some of our high and getting higher energy bills wouldn't be climbing so fast. Seem to me wind and solar energy hasn't helped that much with most electric bills.
In contrast China is on a nuclear plant building boom (24 under construction and 150 new in the planning stage) and will have the most plants on the planet. While counties like Germany are closing down their nuclear grid which they are regretting because the Russian have cut their oil and natural gas imports.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Nuclear power plants will not be built in Western Washington on a time scale that is meaningful for their contributions to our issues. Western Washington can't even agree to build a greenfield second airport despite Sea-Tac's obvious and compounding capacity issues.

Like I said, too many nimby's. You wouldn't believe how long many of this states/cities have raw sewage overflowing into bays and rivers before they finally expand the treatment plants, Dept. of ecology suing and fining all along the way. Mark my words, we will be well into rolling blackouts, huge increases in power bills, with homes and stores losing their food or having to have fuel powered backup generators well before and IF any new power sources come online.

France's high speed TGV train system was made possible mainly by a massive investment in Nuclear energy. Granted it's been 7 years now, but first class tickets for less than $100 US from Milan to Paris I thought were a pretty good deal for a train that does north of 200mph. The thing is, once out of Paris it's just alot of flat farmland and plenty of space to work with. We simply don't have the energy nor the space to build such a thing on the coast, the corridors are already too congested and topographically limited. Maybe that will be the next Washington state move, the new high speed train corridor using imminent domain punching through 7-figure waterfront home after home.....

[46H]

It seems that the small modular reactors could be retrofitted into existing coal plants reusing the existing infrastructure (e.g. electrical distribution systems) and also retaining skilled workers from the coal plant. This would create a decent cost saving over an entirely new power plant. I hope they figure it out.

[leastprime]

Y to nuclear.
Add in distributed, Flow Batteries, at the old power locations because the wires, switches, zoning, are already in place. .
(I own stock in nuclear, lithium, and flow battery companies)
YPMV

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I'm in favor of nuclear power plants. The USA needs more and more electricity, for house hold, the legally mandated electric cars and trucks, and for AC because Americans are getting wussy. What used to be considered good summer weather is now life-threatenly hot at the exact same temperatures that used to be fine to live in, so much AC is needed.

My only issue is this: if the folks of Seattle and Olympia and big West Washington towns want more electricity, why can they not build nuclear power plants near their big cities, instead of pushing them off on their far away cousins who don't have enough votes to defend themselves so they get all the eyesores and undesirable structures?

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I'm in favor of nuclear power plants. The USA needs more and more electricity, for house hold, the legally mandated electric cars and trucks, and for AC because Americans are getting wussy. What used to be considered good summer weather is now life-threatenly hot at the exact same temperatures that used to be fine to live in, so much AC is needed.

My only issue is this: if the folks of Seattle and Olympia and big West Washington towns want more electricity, why can they not build nuclear power plants near their big cities, instead of pushing them off on their far away cousins who don't have enough votes to defend themselves so they get all the eyesores and undesirable structures?

Well it little late for Biden's supported EV trucks and buses. Bankrupted. You can file that under the same bankrupt Solar energy company that Obama poured billion into.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/08/biden-...or-bankruptcy/
The temperature where I live (no life-threatening here) has been 100% normal...mostly this summer it has been in the low to mid 70' with an occasional rise into the low 80's which I will take any day. Today it may not even reach 70.

[jabogitlu]

I think the biggest medium-term threat to our energy supply is from new demand, not really increased local demand from the existing base. Once places like portions of Arizona, Texas, and Florida become destabilized due to combinations of extreme storm/weather, increases in average temperature, or lack of potable water, the northwest will be forced to take in a portion of those folks who have the means to relocate.

[moguldreamer]

I'm OK with removing NIMBYs from the grid. Turn off their power.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by rantiquity

...

Do you think these modular reactors should be built?
What is your thoughts on Nuclear power in general?

Distributed Nuclear Power Generation is critical. No more silly fossil fueled energy stations in a state with no fossil fuel natural resources would have been a good idea 30 yrs ago.

Wind, Wave, Hydro, Micro-hydro... solar, geothermal, (and nuclear) all will need to play together and each play a role.

but... don't expect harmonious and practical solutions it to happen in a state where 3 counties control the will of 39 counties.

It won't happen, tho we needed it yesterday, as one of many solutions to power a better future for our kids.