01/12/10 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – In 2010, I believe that the stars are aligning for nuclear power. In 2008, costs for everything (steel, concrete, copper, equipment, etc.) pretty much skyrocketed and a lot of developments in the nuclear space were either delayed or deferred. In 2009, the markets crashed and capital availability dried up. Again, many nuclear projects were delayed or deferred.
But the world needs the energy. The so-called alternative energy systems — wind, solar geothermal — are starved for capital, technically problematic and hard to scale up even on the best of days. Carbon-based systems are now out of favor, certainly in the elite salons of the Western world. Coal-fired power won’t cut it in the West (unless things get really bad — which they might.)
The modern nuclear power industry offers fourth-generation technology that’s MUCH safer than it was in the past. This includes nuclear reactors — with standardized designs and less-dangerous fuel systems — that are faster to construct and much less costly than in the olden days. To cap it off, the nuke power industry today offers a better handle on nuclear waste and weapon proliferation issues. It’s all good — or at least, it’s much better than it was 10 or 20 years ago.
Thus, it’s time to get into the nuclear investment space, and I believe we’re getting in near the bottom.
Byron King
Byron King is the managing editor of Outstanding Investments and Energy & Scarcity Investor. He is a Harvard-trained geologist who has traveled to every U.S. state and territory and six of the seven continents. He has conducted site visits to mineral deposits in 26 countries and deep-water oil fields in five oceans. This provides him with a unique perspective on the myriad of investment opportunities in energy and mineral exploration. He has been interviewed by dozens of major print and broadcast media outlets including The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, MSN Money, MarketWatch, Fox Business News, and PBS Newshour.
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How much better is the reactor now compared to 10 years ago. “Better”, but, how much, by what degree ? It all boils down to the fact that nuclear power station is still something to be worried about. It operate 365 days a year. Can human being makes no mistake ?
They are much safer and human mistakes are not possible. They run pretty much by them self. Plus, if they develop the breeder reactors we could burn all the nuclear waist that is just sitting around right now which would translate into 300 years of fuel to provide a 100 % of the energy to the country.
Toshiba is one of Japan’s largest nuclear energy vendors. In 2006 Toshiba acquired the old Westinghouse nuclear business from BNFL. They paid over $5 billion and didn’t flinch at paying that price. That’s all you need to know about the long-term future of nuclear power.
Good. go nuclear, use nuclear by all means; go on full speed.
Just a thought…
Be careful investing “for the long term” folks b/c the markets are rigged for short-sellers.
Want to naked short sell? No problem!
Illegal front running (a la Goldman)… No problem!
Even if you “pick a winner” the stocks are regularly carpet-bombed and equity is illegally sucked out of winning ideas/winning companies.
This isn’t to say “don’t do it” but keep stops in place under your stocks. Investing for the long term (perhaps even with dividend payers too) just ain’t what it used to be.
Take care…
Great article Byron. I am in training to obtain my Senior Reactor Operator license. I can tell you, that between the training of personnel, the procedures in place and all of the safety features (particularly containment structures) of the power plants, that nuclear power is the safest, most reliable and cleanest method of generating electricity there is today.
Are nuclear reactors “more” safe than 10-20 years ago????
Have we (as taxpayers) been burdened with the solving of the problem of nuclear waste??
Will “private” money do ALL the investing in nuclear power and not require taxpayer support as in the past???
Will “private” money clean up all the messes that have been left from the 10-20 years ago nuclear reactors????
What will we do with some of the reactors that are literally “ticking time bombs” because they are deteriorating and “private” capital refuses to upgrade them to “safe” (tongue in cheek) mode??????
Will “private capital” not sequester the profits and socialize the costs????? (as in the past?)
Not in my lifetime…..
Mr Atomic…an analogy:
Aeroplanes have progressed since the days of the Wright Bros.
Do you fear flying today because planes used to be made of wood and fabric?
Nah, not for me. If all the nuclear stations needed were made, we would run out of Uranium in a generation.
Much faster, safer and cheaper is to plaster texas and arizona with solar panels and push it at the household micro-generation level.
Easy and clean with no waste and no risk of an accident.
“that nuclear power is the safest, most reliable and cleanest method of generating electricity there is today”
Errrrrrr rose tinted spectacles me thinks!!!
I wonder what kind of power a Chinese coal miner thinks is safer.
How much carbon and sulphur is France stuffing into the atmosphere these days?
The USA should be like Germany, which has slated all of its existing nukes for decommissioning, then strip mines the entire Ruhr for the brown coal underneath.
Theophiluspunofall
I think you got the point. Technology has advanced by leap and bounds. Things has been churned out so fine.
It is high time to apply nuclear power which will make the world cleaner.
First, breeder reactors can use thorium that is much more abandoned then Uranium and they are up to 97% more efficient. So there is an endless supply of energy at our finger tips we just have to use it.
I wish they would go ahead and build solar panels all over the place. It would use up all the silver in the world and I would become very wealthy over night. But that is exactly why they will not do it.
It is big surprise, energy at our finger tips, and no one implemented it. What a waste? Instead, mankind keeps beating around the bush – spending billions digging deep ocean oil, risking life digging miles down for coal, spending billions to increase carbon dioxide.