The problem with that are the dozens of large nuclear power reactors that have gone into service in the last 10 years. Just because they aren’t being built in the US doesn’t mean they aren’t being built elsewhere.
Most of the new nuclear plants in the last decade are in China, but not all of them. A South Korean construction consortium recently built 4 large power reactors in the United Arab Emirates. The cost of this project was not in just building the power plants, but also in developing the regulatory, training, and supply chain infrastructure needed to support a brand new nuclear power industry.
China continues to build large nuclear power plants, with around 20 reactor plants currently under construction. The key is have a large, experienced construction industry that can move from one project to another, applying the experience and lessons learned to each subsequent project. In this way, cost comes down and plants are built faster than if only one or two projects are attempted.
Summary of China’s nuclear power industry:
- Pete