You mentioned some of the differences between "mothballing" and decommissioning which I find interesting. Would the topic of refurbishment vs mothballing vs decommissioning be of interest to you to write about? Looking at each option that a nuclear plant comes to as it reaches its initial lifespan in regards to how each pathway results in different additions of cost/electricity generation/CO2 savings/etc? I also don't know much about what goes into refurbishment, mothballing, or decommissioning and would be interested in learning what things happen in each.
"They kept changing the timeline without changing the law”. Expect this to be the case with Diablo Canyon (CA), the remaining German reactors, and states like CA in terms of "zero emissions/100% renewable" electricity and 100% EVs by deadlines set. Laws will continue to mandate that which cannot be achieved. The date of the non-achievement will simply be moved.
"But after years of being bashed and jerked around by the government," also explains how global capital expenditures on oil/gas drilling plunged by around 50% from 2014 to 2021.
We've wondered and asked where advanced nations would be displacing all coal and natural gas for electricity generation had they spent $3 - $5 TRILLION since 1997 (Kyoto) on advanced nuclear. See here: https://envmental.substack.com/p/sacrificing-humanity-on-the-green
You mentioned some of the differences between "mothballing" and decommissioning which I find interesting. Would the topic of refurbishment vs mothballing vs decommissioning be of interest to you to write about? Looking at each option that a nuclear plant comes to as it reaches its initial lifespan in regards to how each pathway results in different additions of cost/electricity generation/CO2 savings/etc? I also don't know much about what goes into refurbishment, mothballing, or decommissioning and would be interested in learning what things happen in each.
Thanks for your work, keep it up!
Super piece, Angelica!
"They kept changing the timeline without changing the law”. Expect this to be the case with Diablo Canyon (CA), the remaining German reactors, and states like CA in terms of "zero emissions/100% renewable" electricity and 100% EVs by deadlines set. Laws will continue to mandate that which cannot be achieved. The date of the non-achievement will simply be moved.
"But after years of being bashed and jerked around by the government," also explains how global capital expenditures on oil/gas drilling plunged by around 50% from 2014 to 2021.
We've wondered and asked where advanced nations would be displacing all coal and natural gas for electricity generation had they spent $3 - $5 TRILLION since 1997 (Kyoto) on advanced nuclear. See here: https://envmental.substack.com/p/sacrificing-humanity-on-the-green