In the energy world, we are told relentlessly that an energy transition is underway, and that the rate of change is dizzying and unprecedented.
While we're facing the blinding light show that is the media hype over the energy transition many want - wind and solar and battery tech and Tesla -, spellbound and hypnotized by the spectacle, behind our backs 7 billion people are putting together their own show that will dwarf ours.
The most bizarre western energy antics however seem to revolve around nuclear energy, another piece of the energy puzzle that appears to be poised for rapid and significant growth even while the west ties itself into knots as to whether or not nuclear energy should be allowed.
Per their website, "Micro-reactors are a simple and compact form of nuclear reactor capable of producing between 1-20 megawatts of carbon free electricity." Another US government website notes: "These compact reactors will be small enough to transport by truck and could help solve energy challenges in a number of areas, ranging from remote commercial or residential locations to military bases."
"The nuclear part is an oddity that fits in to the picture in the weirdest of ways. Nuclear power is the only real option for zero emissions power at a scale large enough to meet the world's needs. In yet another geopolitical curiosity, the west has tied itself into knots over nuclear energy; one camp sees it as a threat to mankind, the other camp seeing it as energy's salvation in a world that wants lower emissions. One recent study showed that 57 percent of global systemically important banks explicitly exclude nuclear power from financing considerations."
Next, because energy demand never ceases to stop growing, as the cheapest and easiest-to-extract natural gas reserves are developed, nuclear power will grow in stature to provide the reliable baseload power the world needs in huge and growing quantities.
That's the energy transition that appears most inevitable.
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