“Nuclear fission is the most complicated, fraught, expensive way to boil water to produce steam to drive electrical turbines.”
What U.S. industry is at once the most subsidized and regulated by the federal government? The answer is commercial nuclear power. As a result, the 73-year-old “Atoms for Peace” program represents the most expensive failure (malinvestment) in US business. potholed with uncompleted projects and massive cost overruns with completed projects. Future decommissioning costs will add to this liability.
But hyperbole rules with this technology, and there is always tomorrow. Forget that competitive viability did not emerge in the 1950s or 1960s, and George W. Bush and Joe Biden both failed at their attempted “nuclear renaissance.” Expect the same to result from today’s interventionist energy policy.
A future post will outline the crash attempt by President Trump and DOE secretary Chris Wright to get new nuclear capacity on track.…
“And you wonder why people are skeptical. [Bradley] made a comment. You disputed it. He provided support. You deflected and avoided the issue with a completely illogical statement. Oh, that’s right, you are a ‘journalist’.” ( – Mike Robinson to Elisa Wood, below)
Elisa Wood, writer and editor at Energy Changemakers, [1] posted:
A 75-year-old science group offers a new direction following the Trump administration’s climate rollback. Here’s why the plan features rooftop solar, batteries, microgrids and other forms of distributed energy.
I commented:
Rooftop solar? Those big companies (like Sunnova) have gone bankrupt and left customers with long-term contracts they do not like. It is a litigation paradise.
Wood: “Logical fallacy here. One company’s bankruptcy doesn’t damn a whole technology.”
Bradley: “Sunnova was the biggest.…
“The Sunnova case has become a cautionary tale in the solar industry, underscoring the importance of keeping all documentation … researching a company’s financial health before signing contracts. understanding all terms, especially service and maintenance obligations … avoiding tying financing solely to the installer.” (below)
MasterResource has chronicled the rise and fall of Enron-ex John Berger’s rooftop solar company, Sunnova Energy International Inc. [1] The whole rooftop solar proposition was dicey, even with taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies. “Subsidies like the DOE’s guarantees can incentivize firms to prioritize short-term gains over long-term compliance,” observed Issac Lane. “Sunnova’s aggressive sales tactics, which targeted vulnerable consumers, were enabled by its belief that federal backing insulated it from accountability.”
…What is the latest, where Berger exited with millions of dollars and almost everyone else footed his bill (including taxpayers)?