November 2024 - Nuclear Hype Ignores High Cost, Long Timelines - Nuclear Options Are Years Away While Solar, Wind, Storage

What Technology and Fuel? The technology being developed by Kairos would use molten salt as the coolant instead of the light water used in existing conventional boiling and pressurized water reactors in the U. [...] Where? The companies said the plants “will be sited in relevant service territories to supply clean electricity to Google data centers.”1 That may be good for Google, but the statement ignores the many issues faced in the different power markets and grid systems around the country when building new generation resources. [...] It also would force Google and Kairos to address growing concerns about the broader benefits of the surge in AI and data center demand: Will the costs of the new infrastructure benefit all utility customers? That is a question regulators increasingly will want answered. [...] If the construction is to be underwritten by Amazon, what contract protections will it require to protect its bottom line? What Technology and Fuel? The technology at the heart of the deal is X-energy’s proposed 80MW high temperature gas reactor (HTGR), which the company says will commonly be sold as a four-pack, bringing it to the planned 320MW unit to be built by Energy Northwest. [...] Energy Northwest will build, own and operate the reactors, but Amazon has “the right to purchase electricity from the first project.” And if expanded, the additional power would be offered to Amazon and other utilities—placing all the risks on Energy Northwest, while the benefits would flow largely to Amazon.