A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation. Georgia Power Co. announced Monday that Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, has completed testing and is now sending power to the grid reliably.

ATLANTA (AP) — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.

  •  DarkGamer   ( @DarkGamer@kbin.social ) 
    13•1 year ago

    Ironically, a major reason for this is environmentalists themselves. Nuclear power would be way cheaper if it wasn’t for their panic over things that contain atoms.

    In terms of safety, there’s a big difference between nuclear technologies that fail elegantly like LFTR and more traditional designs that tend to use weaponized isotopes with very long half-lives, and can meltdown and explode when operated incorrectly.

    I can understand why environmentalists look at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island and say, hmm, maybe we shouldn’t do that.

    •  Captain_Ender   ( @Captain_Ender@kbin.social ) 
      5•1 year ago

      LFTR costs so much up front and if it does fail which is why it isn’t utilized, which sucks because it’s massively more efficient, cheaper to fuel, and like 1/10th the size. So over time it’s ultimately cheaper than current gen reactors. Even with the failure cost replacement, there’s no fallout because of its walkaway design, so yeah it’s a LOT cheaper than a normal reactor failing.

      Also it’s the only reactor design so far that could work in space like on the moon or Mars.