Natrium Reactor being built

ill

ill

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ill said:
www.usatoday.com

A $4B nuclear power plant backed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett is set for construction in Wyoming

Backers say the broadly supported Wyoming nuclear power plant will help reduce carbon emissions from burning coal, help fight against climate change.
www.usatoday.com

kind of hate this is driven by private industry, but a lot of the times, that is what drives progress...

looking forward to seeing this get built.
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Why do you hate that it is being driven by private industry?
 
Kburjr said:
Why do you hate that it is being driven by private industry?
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I guess I'm not...it makes sense that private industry is driving it...

but I still worry that the NRC isn't bought in on it...which would keep it from actually happening.
 
ill said:
I guess I'm not...it makes sense that private industry is driving it...

but I still worry that the NRC isn't bought in on it...which would keep it from actually happening.
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I thought that was where you were going with the comment.

I would presume even with private industry developing this all regulators would be present, no?
 
Orlando_Eagles said:
I thought that was where you were going with the comment.

I would presume even with private industry developing this all regulators would be present, no?
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correct...they would still have to jump through all the hoops
 
Orlando_Eagles said:
Than I fully support private industry doing this.
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I know they are loaded and all that, but I hope they are getting some help from the government in the cost.
 
ill said:
I know they are loaded and all that, but I hope they are getting some help from the government in the cost.
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I’m sure when it’s all broken out there get some benefits, tax incentives, etc. Its a drop in the bucket for the government to not have to heavily subsidize it.

I’m not intimately familiar with the industry and what’s involved….but business 101 says there has to be a return on investment at some point. At least a solid chunk of that will be born by the consumer.
 
ill said:
I know they are loaded and all that, but I hope they are getting some help from the government in the cost.
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Private industry is only paying half the $4B price tag. Gov't paying the other.
 
www.reuters.com

Bill Gates' $4 bln high-tech nuclear reactor set for Wyoming coal site

An advanced nuclear power venture founded by billionaire Bill Gates said on Tuesday it has chosen a town in Wyoming as the site to build a $4 billion demonstration plant that will get half its funding from the U.S. government.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

This one explains the funding a little better.
 
Orlando_Eagles said:
I’m sure when it’s all broken out there get some benefits, tax incentives, etc. Its a drop in the bucket for the government to not have to heavily subsidize it.

I’m not intimately familiar with the industry and what’s involved….but business 101 says there has to be a return on investment at some point. At least a solid chunk of that will be born by the consumer.
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I just know the price tag for building a new nuclear plant in the company I currently work for would not turn a profit for a very long time...which is why we have backed out of building any new plants.

furthermore the reactors being built in GA and SC are so behind schedule and over budget that no one wants to touch them...shit I think the SC ones have halted the build and are abandoned.
 
Fish said:
Really happy that Warren and Bill are getting financial help on this...

FFS
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I am glad someone is actually trying to do something about it and help our energy future
 
ill said:
it is a loan or a subsidy?
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That I haven't looked into. I assume this is more POC like and so the money is a subsidy, a "prove it" kind of deal. Plus if they pay half the bill then they get more say in the direction and oversight (not that they lack oversight in the first place).
 
fordman84 said:
That I haven't looked into. I assume this is more POC like and so the money is a subsidy, a "prove it" kind of deal. Plus if they pay half the bill then they get more say in the direction and oversight (not that they lack oversight in the first place).
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I ask because my plant put in for a loan maybe 12 yrs ago and when they responded with the interest rate on it, we had to back out because we would never be profitable with the build...so no new reactor.
 
ill said:
I ask because my plant put in for a loan maybe 12 yrs ago and when they responded with the interest rate on it, we had to back out because we would never be profitable with the build...so no new reactor.
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Perhaps that was a situation where they are trying to make the terms onerous so that it needs to shut down? I don't know the feelings around your plant but I get the impression that "older" nuke tech is viewed poorly and one of the levers to retire them is to just make funding it impossible.
 
fordman84 said:
Perhaps that was a situation where they are trying to make the terms onerous so that it needs to shut down? I don't know the feelings around your plant but I get the impression that "older" nuke tech is viewed poorly and one of the levers to retire them is to just make funding it impossible.
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they are certainly expensive to maintain since a lot of the technology is dated and they have been around for 50 yrs...but they are still functional...just not as profitable because of regulations and all that.

but because Gates and Buffett don't seem to be in it for the profits (as much) they can fund the build and feel no remorse.
 
fordman84 said:
That I haven't looked into. I assume this is more POC like and so the money is a subsidy, a "prove it" kind of deal. Plus if they pay half the bill then they get more say in the direction and oversight (not that they lack oversight in the first place).
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This makes sense. To @ill points from an industry POV there is a lot in the current reality that is prohibitive to a business case to build out these new plants and cleaner technologies.

I would like to see business shoulder such costs? But if the return isn’t there they just aren’t going to do it.
 
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