The Missing Nuclear Link

For a long time, the only real hurdle for nuclear power has been that of waste disposal. The de-facto public opinion moratorium on nuclear development has basically destroyed the nuclear research apparatus in the United States over the past thirty years. So it’s kind of miraculous that a company outside of the U.S. has come through and really provided a miraculous solution to cover the technology gap involving the processing of nuclear waste. With my standard level of skepticism, I am reserving judgment until a little more information is available, but at first blush this is a fascinating and very exciting development. Even if it only succeeds in some lower efficiency, it is still a great step forward and will likely spur further development in every aspect of nuclear research as more people recognize the viability and benefits of nuclear power.

 

I think this should really go a long way towards our long-lead mitigation of the growing gap in energy production and energy usage; a portfolio of nuclear, upgraded transmission, hydroelectric, solar, and the niche renewables. This is really the only way to shuffle off the yoke of carbon-based generation, and I hope that a true portfolio approach is adopted/accepted by the general populace and the decision-makers within industry and government.