The history of technology is full of “good enough” solutions becoming dominant. Toshiba’s (or anyone else’s) reactor doesn’t have to be perfect, i.e. it can produce some radioactive waste. Other countries (France, Japan, etc. come to mind) safely reprocess and/or dispose of radioactive waste. Nuclear power in the US, even with the overzealous regulatory burden, is cheaper than most other energy sources, so I wouldn’t dismiss the claim of 5 cents per kilowatt hour. Even if it were 10 cents, it will be available next year.
I’m all for a perfect solution like focus fusion. I just want to make sure it has a chance. It won’t if it takes 10 years to develop and commercialize. The days are over when we can take our sweet time….
