New Talking Points: SMRs

Beyond Nuclear has now published its 6th in the series of Talking Points: Unfounded Promises. Small Modular Reactors solve none of the challenges of nuclear power and make climate change and proliferation worse.

A tsunami of license applications for new small modular (mirage) reactors is about to be unleashed in the US. But none remotely pass the five fundamental tests of cost, time, safety, waste and proliferation challenges. SMRs cannot improve on the already flawed full-size reactors, will be more expensive, take too long, have serious safety flaws, constitute proliferation risks and will make even more radioactive waste with no permanent solution.

The Talking Points series is designed to aid activists in communicating short, succinct and on point messages in OpEds, press releases, letters to the editor and communications with elected officials. It is essential that we now address climate change with the fastest and most economical energy sources that reduce the most carbon the most efficiently. Renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency, is already leading the way. Nuclear power, in all its forms, is slow and expensive, as well as dangerous. Talking Points #6 is intended to contribute to the urgent fight to stop the funding and licensing of “new” reactors in all their forms.

You can download a PDF version here. Background sources here.