This post was originally posted years ago. I dropped the ball on this blog and stopped writing; I have now resumed it.

I do not believe that any new reactor designs — i.e. significant departures from currently used commercial designs” would be available in time to do any good, given the speed and depth of energy climate disruption. And liquid fuel thorium reactors would not solve the proliferation problem. I don’t think increasing nuclear proliferation risks while reducing CO2 risks is a good idea. We can do better. When I first finished Carbon-Free and Nuclear Free it was only an analysis. Now it is springing to life in many places, most importantly in a highly industrialized country that is determined to phase out nuclear power: Germany. See their energy transition webpage.

What’s the back up plan?

I did some basic research and come to the conclusion that molten fuels type nuclear reactors (and the traveling wave reactor?) concepts would provide power at a cost comparable to that of coal. I do NOT know if the risk of proliferation should be considered a show stopper. Considering that the world is already at war for fossil fuels, a LFTR based energy economy may provide LESS of a risk of a nuclear attack.
I DO know that the safest way is to find a clean energy source CHEAP enough to compete with coal and nuclear (and monitor all areas of the world for nuclear activity, anyways).

The only way to do that is to use machines to make ALL parts of the SOLAR energy infrastructure which would require literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of square kilometers of installations (and jobs!). Only through automation will solar, be able to provide entire planetary power requirements…

Do you believe that the exponential growth of solar is possible, to such lengths? Since 15% efficient panels would have to cover about 1 or 2% of the Earth’s surface (to out pace fossils) would the conversion of (about 85% of the) sunlight into extra infrared heat cause problems, and if so, can solar panels be made to be not as dark in color?

Without nuclear, machine made solar (and mega storage) is our ONLY choice that can replace fossil fuels barring a new invention such as fusion, right?

One more question: Is it true that giant reservoirs of molten salt and metals can be used to make utility scale batteries?

Thank you,
Robert