http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/new-licensing-files/expected-new-rx-applications.pdf

About Freaking Time! As most of you know, the NRC started issuing licenses last Fall. I did not know they were issuing them at this accelerated rate! Wow! We're increasing our Nuclear output by 33% in 3 years (not including construction time). That's impressive! Some of these reactors are at existing plants. That's good. Good logistics in adding capacity at existing plants (and some reactors do retire soon).

At any rate, I just finished an introduction to Nuclear chemistry chapter. After I learned the Science behind the plants and how safe they ARE, I became annoyed we ran away from the technology.

What are your thoughts on this?

BTW:

1000MW Coal plant dumps around 35,000 TONS of SO2, Sulfur Dioxide; 4,500,000 TONS of Carbon Dioxide, and about 3,500,000 cubic feet of ash. A 1000MW Nuclear plant? 70 cubic feet of vitrified waste.

The problem is that the permitting process on anything that produces energy, is so long that investors are taking a major risk. Boone Pickens was asked yesterday about the need for new refineries. He said that no one can afford to build new refineries in the states. The regulations and delays make it more practical to build overseas. He is investing heavily in wind farms in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. I would really like to see a lot more nuclear plants, but at best, it will be a long time before they are allowed to be built. The legal terrorism from fringe green groups keeps too many projects tied up in courts and red tapes.

Seadog: Go to the link. 7 are already approved. 2 more are in review now. 34 reactors will be approved by 2010.

It's about time, but we need to be able to recycle the waste
like the rest of world also.

Other day for fun one of the engineers worked this out...
One trainload of coal is roughly the equivalent to 20,000 MWH of electric generation. Therefore, a good day of wind generation at 900 mega watts saves the equivalent of one unit train of coal.

Not a moment too soon. I still predict that at least one of the approved applications won't be built (or won't be finished).

D, I thought you were vehemently opposed to nuke?

I'm opposed to Nuclear longterm. It's great short term. The wastes are a problem hence my long-term disapproval. We don't have an unlimited supply of U238 to be enriched to ~1.0U235 either.

But, for these plants can operate 40-50 years without bothering me. I just don't to be building MORE nuke plants 20 years from now.

The fusion process is better than the fission process we're using now. Unfortunately, it's also much-more complex. But, i'm confident we will get there.

And yea, I wish Sunflower would build a dang Nuke plant and end this stupid debate.

That is just the first stage. The nest step is probably opening it to public review. Then there will be plan reviews, legal reviews, so forth and so on. Black Fox was under construction when one busy body biddy stopped it with legal delays. When an anniversary of the event came up, she was bragging about how she would continue to fight nuclear plants. It is one thing to be opinionated, but it is wrong when the few have all the power over the majority, no matter how their cause is seen by future events.

Seadog, it has been almost 30 years since any licenses have been considered. Lots of things have changed. I think these will go pretty quick. D

The approval process is lengthy but a necessary first step.

Now the tough part begins...enviro statements, public review and acceptance, and on and on and on and on and on.

We need Nuclear Power NOW. Unfortunately it will be 10-15 years before any of these plants come online.

One of the reports I read expected the 4 approved last fall to be ONLINE before 2015.

A lot of environmentalists are more willing to go Nuclear than coal, I think.

Don't forget, most of these are not NEW plants but expanding and/or replacing existing reactors.

State OKs New Plant

The Turkey Point Plant not considered for design until CY 09 will be online by 2018 and 2020.

So D-Rod,

If you had your choice of a Nuclare powered truck with unlimited gearing and a diesel powered truck with a 6 speed, which would you take?