• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Archives

Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Too cheap to meter – it's true today

June 23, 2006 By Rod Adams

Tom Fowler from the Houston Chronicle wrote an article about the NRG Energy’s recently announced project in south Texas titled Nuclear reactor plans signal renewed interest that was published on June 21, 2006.

The article follows the journalistic convention of “balance” by including some quotes and information from people opposed to the announced project. According to the article, here is one of the reasons why Public Citizen of Texas is opposed to nuclear power:

Tom Smith, director of Public Citizen’s Texas office, said it’s estimated the nuclear industry has been given more than $115 billion in direct taxpayer subsidies between 1947 and 1999.

So while nuclear power plants say the power they produce is among the cheapest in the country, Smith says their estimates don’t include the subsidies or cost overruns.

“Thirty years ago, we were promised that nuclear energy would produce energy ‘too cheap to meter,’ but the costs are still mounting,” Smith said.

Leaving aside the proofreading error that indicates that nuclear power plants can talk, the fact is that the nuclear power plants operating now in the US could operate in a business model that charges by the connection, not by the amount of power produced. By some definitions, their power is already “too cheap to meter.”

Here is a more complete development of that idea – Too Cheap to Meter – It’s Now True

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Rod Adams

Rod Adams is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience, now serving as a Managing Partner at Nucleation Capital, an emerging climate-focused fund. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial discussion and analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology and policies for several decades. He is the founder of Atomic Insights and host and producer of The Atomic Show Podcast.

Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed.

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Join Rod’s pronuclear network

Join Rod's pronuclear network by completing this form. Let us know what your specific interests are.

Recent Comments

  • David on Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked
  • Rod Adams on Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked
  • David on Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked
  • Rod Adams on Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked
  • paul wick on Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked

Follow Atomic Insights

The Atomic Show

Atomic Insights

Recent Posts

Atomic Show #297 – Krusty – The Kilopower reactor that worked

Nuclear energy growth prospects and secure uranium supplies

Nucleation Capital’s Earth Day in Atherton

Atomic Show #296 – Julia Pyke, Director of Finance Sizewell C

Solar’s dirty secrets: How solar power hurts people and the planet

  • Home
  • About Atomic Insights
  • Atomic Show
  • Contact
  • Links

Search Atomic Insights

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Atomic Insights

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy