The only way it works is if the power consumer owns the entire lifecycle (construction, ongoing O&M, etc) (the US Navy, for example). There is absolutely no way any commercial power purchase agreement buyer is going to spec nuclear when they can get renewables backed by storage for pennies per kwh [1], both of which have install lead times measured in months (versus a decade for nuclear).
Tesla committed to having the Hornsdale Power Reserve built in 100 days or it was free [2]. That is what nuclear is up against. Please don't argue base load; there is no need for base load, only diverse firm dispatchable generation assets [3], robust transmission, and demand response for non-essential industrial loads.
Tesla committed to having the Hornsdale Power Reserve built in 100 days or it was free [2]. That is what nuclear is up against. Please don't argue base load; there is no need for base load, only diverse firm dispatchable generation assets [3], robust transmission, and demand response for non-essential industrial loads.
[1] https://www.utilitydive.com/news/solar-plus-storage-poised-t...
[2] https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/11/28/167090...
[3] https://energypost.eu/dispelling-nuclear-baseload-myth-nothi...