"Nothing like this will be built again": a tour of a working nuclear reactor
"Energy to cheap to meter".  It pains me.  I'm so glad to see a good writer give some strength to how massive and impressive these reactors are.  But it pains me as he describes system after thoroughly redundant system adding to the costs of these reactors.<p>I'm much more familiar with PWRs (Pressurized Water Reactors) which yes, are a bit smaller and less efficient, but the plans and schematics are like a first time run through of a problem.  Nothing re-factored, nothing elegant, just plain and simple brute force design to make it work.<p>There's no reason for four diesel generators when two would do.  There's no reason for multiple chemical volume and control systems.  There's no reason for 6 foot thick, steel re-barred concrete containment in a negative void coefficient reactor!<p>My take-away from working in the industry is regulation severely impedes innovation.  I fear that our greatest discovery since fire is languishing.  Nuclear energy will be used to great extent in the future, but I can't stand the current delays.  Energy is conceivably too cheap to meter in it's current form.  You could conceivably pay, not by your kilowatt-hour, but a fixed monthly subscription to unlimited energy.  Just think about what you could do with that!<p>Edit: -- Misread the article.  PWR's are less efficient than AGRs