Nuclear bailouts are a big mistake

I think that on the whole the infrastructure package is a positive thing. I'd have done plenty of it differently, but I'm not in charge, nor will I be. Anyway, yeah, this:

The misguided but predictable decision by the Biden administration to waste $6 billion in taxpayer dollars propping up US reactors that were scheduled to close, further detours from and delays urgently needed action on the climate crisis...

Renewable energy is the fastest growing job sector in the US and would quickly provide a greater number of longer term, well-paying and obviously safer jobs for Americans. Equally, applying the $6 billion to the renewable energy growth sector instead of the financially failing nuclear power industry, would reduce more carbon faster for the same price.

As Stanford physicist, Amory Lovins, has repeatedly pointed out: “Most US nuclear reactors now cost more just to run – including big repairs that trend upward with age – than their output can earn. They also cost more just to run than providing the same services by building and operating new renewables, or by using electricity more efficiently.” - Beyond Nuclear

Update 4/30/22: The word now is that this may be too late to keep some old reactors going. I certainly hope so.