• perishthethought@lemm.ee
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    6 months ago

    Ok so, realistically, if we all agree on this today, when would new nuclear power plants begin generating electricity? With all the regulations which are in place today?

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      ≈20-30 years, outside of China. They should have the first molten salt reactors being turned on in another 8 years or so, but they started those projects in 2020

    • Krono@lemmy.today
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      6 months ago

      If we “all agree” and do a moonshot construction plan we could have electricity in 8 years. This is a fantasy, tho.

      Best case scenario in the real world is operational in 12 years.

      In the capitalist hellscape here in the US, a reasonable expectation would be 18-20 years.

      20 years also happens to be the lifespan of our wind turbines. In 20 years, all of the currently running wind turbine blades will be in a landfill and new ones will need to be manufactured to replace them.

      No reasonable person is suggesting nuclear as a short-term option. It’s a long term investment.