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Next-Gen Nuclear Power Plant Breaks Ground In China
An anonymous reader writes "The construction of first next-generation Westinghouse nuclear power reactor breaks ground in Sanmen, China. The reactor, expected to generate 12.7 Megawatts by 2013, costs 40 billion Yuan (~US$6 billion; that's a lot of iPods.) According to Westinghouse, 'The AP1000 is the safest and most economical nuclear power plant available in the worldwide commercial marketplace, and is the only Generation III+ reactor to receive Design Certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.' However, Chinese netizens suspect China is being used as a white rat to test unproven nuclear technologies (comments in Chinese)." Update: 04/20 07:28 GMT by T : As several readers have pointed out, this plant will generate much more than 12.7 Megawatts -- more like 1100 MWe.
I guess it might be the byproduct of being the only country to actually have used atomic weapons in war.
Maybe they really are afraid of anyone who might be able to do it to them too 8)
IMHO, a properly run Nuke reactor is greener than the same power generated by solar. But the trick is that if a solar panel overheats and goes boom, it it much easier to clean up.
Sure we have the guts. We would just prefer the money and ipods. Seriously, carbon tax will get pushed by each country only as much as it will be economically smart to do so.
No offense, but nobody in Europe has done anything that bold since France abandoned its colonies in the 50's. I'm not saying that Europe is a bunch of cowards, I'm just saying that the cowards are in charge and I don't see that changing in a mere ten years.