Westinghouse backs off small nuclear plants

[FBaggins]

After millions of dollars and more than a decade spent developing a small modular nuclear reactor, Westinghouse Electric Co. is pulling back.

Danny Roderick, president and CEO of the Cranberry-based nuclear firm, said Westinghouse recently "reprioritized" staff devoted to small modular reactor, or SMR, development and funneled their efforts to the AP1000, the company's full-scale new generation pressurized water reactor currently under construction in China and the U.S.

"The problem I have with SMRs is not the technology, it's not the deployment -- it's that there's no customers," Mr. Roderick said. "The worst thing to do is get ahead of the market."

The move comes after Westinghouse was twice snubbed by the U.S. Department of Energy's SMR commercialization program, which awarded cost-sharing arrangements to two other companies.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/02/02/Westinghouse-backs-off-small-nuclear-plants/stories/201402020074

That last line appears to be the better explanation. There are customers... there just aren't enough to justify half a dozen competing technologies, and the government is picking winners in the short-mid term.

[Laelth]

1. I hope your analysis is correct. n/t

-Laelth