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Comment by uecker | Hacker News Reader

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uecker·

No, because nuclear energy is not a cost effective measure against climate change. Solar is.

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If climate change is indeed an existential threat, then by definition nuclear is cost-effective.

And at any rate, why not both?

We do not have infinite resources. Committing 7-11 years and countless billions to build a NPP leads to those funds and other resources to be unavailable elsewhere.

Each wind farm, each set of solar panels, each battery storage will begin to pay dividends immediately as each one is finished. While the huge plant will be nothing-nothing-nothing-... for years upon years.

Builders, engineers, capital, and such is better suited to be investing in other sources of energy.

That’s exactly what people said 10 years ago…and 10 years before that.

Listen to Ken Griffin explain why we need nuclear.

https://youtube.com/shorts/yu1UJ1JPjpw?is=etcYMpudQPZRZQQw

Exactly the reason NPP will not save us, no matter how much I (and you, probably?) like it. All the numbers are still better for other solutions.

That’s how we got to 2026 and we still haven’t reached peak coal.

We haven't reached peak coal because we did not start developing renewables earlier. We did waste a huge amount of resources in nuclear in the past, which still never became cheap enough. That we now see a transition away from fossil fuels in large parts of the word is thanks to wind and solar becoming very cheap.

Solar maybe NOW is, but this isn't a 5 or even 10 year old problem. And cost effective compared to what? We'll consider sending people to Mars to save humanity but reactors are "too expensive"?

Renewables is more economical than nuclear, so investing in nuclear is a waste of resources. This is also why nobody does it. And no, nobody who hasn't lost their marbles is seriously considering sending people to Mars to save humanity.

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