Obama primary opponent Bob Greene: Calif. man has energy plan for U.S. for next 1000 years

[Maslo55]

4. Its like asking

Why havent we build jet liners right after we invented airplanes, since they are obviously better than propeller planes. Not because propeller planes are better than jet liners, but because the jet technology was not yet developed at the time.

Similarly, its because solar and wind and coal plants are already existing developed technologies and LFTR SMRs are not yet developed - and China is power hungry now. That does not tell you which way would actually be better in the long run, or which technology has greater potential for the future.

If LFTR has not the potential it is claimed to have, why is Chinese government starting a billion dollar program to develop them, as well as several startup companies around the world (Flibe Energy, Transatomic Power, Thorenco LLC, the Australian-Czech joint venture)? Why there recently was a delegation of scientists from Chinese Academy of Sciences sent to ORNL lab to salvage all the know-how about molten salt reactor technology from the cold war MSRE research program?

And why is China also massively ramping up their traditional nuclear power generation?
China has one of the most ambitious nuclear power programs in the world. As of 2011, the People's Republic of China has 14 nuclear power reactors spread out over 4 separate sites and 27 under construction, with plans to have over 80 GWe (6% - more than France at 63 GW) of installed capacity by 2020, and a further increase to more than 200 GW (16%) by 2030, as agreed in the 22 March 2006 government "Long-term development plan for nuclear power industry from 2005 to 2020".

Problems with NIMBYism can be overcome, since LFTR is not traditional nuclear, but passively safe Gen IV reactor. And economic advantages in the form of low electric bill would speak louder. Money always speaks louder.