The nuclear industry’s latest hype machine is in overdrive, touting small modular reactors (SMRs) as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. But the truth is that SMRs are nothing more than an expensive distraction from real climate solutions.
As someone who spent over 50 years in the nuclear industry, I’ve seen it all before. From the failed “Nuclear Renaissance” of the early 2000s to the current push for SMRs, the nuclear industry has a history of making promises that never materialize.
SMRs are touted as a cheaper and faster way to deploy nuclear power, but the reality is that they’re just smaller versions of traditional reactors. They bring all the big problems of conventional reactors, including radioactive fuel, complex safety systems, and the risk of catastrophic failure or sabotage.
Despite this, the industry continues to push for subsidies and funding for SMRs, claiming that assembly-line production will ensure quality and lower costs. But we’ve seen time and time again that economies of scale don’t apply in nuclear power. The only thing that’s truly small about SMRs is their inability to benefit from economies of scale.
The problem isn’t just the technology itself, but also the regulatory capture by industry insiders. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has repeatedly weakened safety and staffing requirements at the behest of SMR vendors. This is a clear example of “regulatory capture,” where the agency is more interested in serving the interests of the industry than protecting public health and safety.
The UK government, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and other big players are lining up behind SMRs, promising jobs, security, and a low-carbon future. But these promises come with a price tag: billions of dollars in subsidies and funding that could be better spent on proven renewable energy sources.
As someone who’s lived through the ups and downs of the nuclear industry, I can say this with certainty: the latest SMR campaign is not a revolution but a rerun (relapse?). It’s an expensive distraction from the real work of decarbonizing our energy system. The climate crisis demands solutions that are proven, scalable, and affordable – qualities that nuclear power has never delivered.
In conclusion, SMRs will never be built in time to matter, and not at a price that makes sense. But we’ll continue to see billions of dollars poured into the industry as it chases a fantasy. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” And as someone who’s seen it all before, I can only say: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Source: https://www.theenergymix.com/the-nuclear-mirage-why-small-modular-reactors-wont-save-nuclear-power