The Challenges of Nuclear Power in Australia

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Nuclear energy was an early casualty of the culture wars in Australia. It used to be that waste and the options we have for safely disposing of the waste, as well as safety concerns were the main objections. I think the misinformation that we're struggling with at the minute is really around the cost of nuclear energy. The claim is it's too expensive to be relevant. And if you look at sort of recent Western performances, that's not entirely baseless. So this has been a good first pass on some of the opportunities and constraints with nuclear power.

On this episode energy systems expert James Fleay joins Nate to talk about the current state of nuclear energy and its potential applications in the future. Out of all the potential ‘replacements’ for the subsidy of the fossil labor force we’ve grown used to, nuclear energy is one of the most frequently suggested as being the savior of our modern lifestyles. What is the reality of the benefits and costs of nuclear energy? How does it fit into our current mix and our financial situation? Does it have the ability to support ‘human flourishing’ for millenia to come? Will the expansion of it result in a toxic waste situation that we can’t come back from? Or is nuclear energy simply one more piece to the puzzle for complex societies to support - and eventually reduce - their energy demands?

About James Fleay:

James Fleay is an Australian engineer and energy project manager with two decades of experience in design, delivery, operation, and carbon sequestration in the power, oil, and natural gas sectors. Ten years ago, he joined the oil and gas sector to work on the design, delivery and operation of some of Australia’s largest complex energy (LNG) projects. This included 2 years work on one of the largest carbon capture and sequestration projects in the world and another 3 years on a ground-breaking deep-water subsea compression gas project in Australia’s North West. He is the founder and manager of DUNE, Down Under Nuclear Energy, with the purpose of studying the investment case for nuclear energy in Australia and understanding the parameters for its success.

For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/74-james-fleay

To watch this video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QCogtFKP2TY