Stating that nuclear is not economical now based on bespoke US plants that are 50+ years old is similar to the arguments against solar in the 80s and 90s. It can be SO much cheaper if properly managed. Especially as the technology is explored properly.
Nuclear can be extremely cost effective. France is currently generating 70% of their power using nuclear and is significantly cheaper than US nuclear power seeing wholesale prices around 5 cents per kWh. US just has stupid expensive plants with 100% unique parts and old designs. This is why French consumers are paying 1/3 as much as Germans. In addition France is burning their waste in breeders.
You can blame most of the costs and problems of Nuclear in the US with an obsession over protecting private interests. Especially Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas companies. Meanwhile, nationalized energy companies in France are making us all look like idiots.
The problem with nuclear is that smart people sit around thinking up all the 1% ways that the plant could meltdown and making iterative changes to designs to mitigate them. Managers generally approve them since its better not to be the person making the call on something that caused a meltdown as long as the increase in the cost is marginal. The sum total of a lot of marginal increases in the cost though is a negative learning curve.
Solar and wind don't have this because nobody worries about a solar plant blowing up and contaminating the surrounding countryside and cost a trillion dollars to clean up, so it keeps getting cheaper.
Even with increases in costs for French nuclear, they are still nowhere near being un-profitable. They are definitely having trouble commissioning new plants now that political interests are lining up against new Nuclear capability. They have even had to start authorizing coal plants to increase energy production due to lack of supply to meet demand.
To further support this, the top 4 polysilicon producers in the world are ALL in China. You can watch the price of polysilicon explode in 2008 when China got serious about pollution then drop like a rock immediately afterwards when they started making in en-masse.
Nuclear can be extremely cost effective. France is currently generating 70% of their power using nuclear and is significantly cheaper than US nuclear power seeing wholesale prices around 5 cents per kWh. US just has stupid expensive plants with 100% unique parts and old designs. This is why French consumers are paying 1/3 as much as Germans. In addition France is burning their waste in breeders.
You can blame most of the costs and problems of Nuclear in the US with an obsession over protecting private interests. Especially Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas companies. Meanwhile, nationalized energy companies in France are making us all look like idiots.