Publication Laka-library:
Doubling Down: Taxpayers’ Losing Bet on NuScale and Small Modular Reactors (2022)
| Author | Taxpayers for Common Sense |
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6-01-3-60-15.pdf |
| Date | December 2021 |
| Classification | 6.01.3.60/15 (NUCLEAR SAFETY - REACTORS - OTHER TYPES, SMALL MODULAR REACTORS) |
| Front |
From the publication:
Doubling Down: Taxpayers’ Losing Bet on NuScale and Small Modular Reactors December 2021 Taxpayers for Common Sense Executive Summary After more than half a century of federal subsidization of conventional nuclear facilities, some policymakers and industry proponents are arguing for expanded subsidies for new smaller sized types of nuclear reactors — small modular reactors (“SMRs”). However, this dream of rolling mini reactors off the assembly line to compete in energy markets defies reality. The slew of current incentives has failed to foster a cost-effective nuclear reactor industry, and the timeline for deployment of new designs is far too distant to make a timely or beneficial climate impact. After 60 years, the nuclear power industry remains heavily dependent on subsidies, faces costly and unresolved waste disposal challenges, and leaves a long trail of ongoing environmental liabilities, from uranium mining contaminants to water ollution. Meanwhile, alternatives like wind and solar power, efficiency gains, and battery storage are now cheaper than nuclear generation. Why then, should federal taxpayers consider even more federal subsidies — especially at a scale sufficient to force small modular reactors to market?