SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk answers a question from the press in front of the Crew Dragon that is being prepared for the Demo-2 mission, at SpaceX Headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 in Hawthorne, CA. Photo credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
A Nuclear Reaction – Where Are the True Believers?
Originally posted August 31, 2022.
What’s going on? It’s confusing to have Elon Musk, Mr. EV, deviate from the energy doctrines of environmental faith.
James Freeman in the WSJ reports on The Journal’s Jenny Strasburg:
Tesla Inc. boss Elon Musk told European energy leaders that the world needs more oil and natural gas and should continue operating nuclear power plants while investing heavily in renewable energy sources.
In Stavanger, Norway, for a conference, Mr. Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and largest shareholder said,
“I think we actually need more oil and gas, not less, but simultaneously moving as fast as we can to a sustainable energy economy.”
Musk Pro Nuclear?
According to Mr. Musk, work on developing battery-storage technology is key to making the most of investments in wind, solar and geothermal energy.
“I’m also pronuclear,” continued Mr. Musk.
“We should really keep going with the nuclear plants. I know this may be an unpopular view in some quarters. But I think if you have a well-designed nuclear power plant, you should not shut it down, especially right now.”
With Europeans facing winter, Mr. Musk’s timing couldn’t be better. Will Musk be able to help alleviate European misery this winter as the region faces natural gas shortages, wonders Mr. Freeman.
In a separate column, the WSJ’s Holman Jenkins believes Russia has only a short window to prove Putin’s “energy intimidation strategy:”
Germany today is lucky. So far, Europe is hanging together and seeking to share the pain of a blunder that is disproportionately Germany’s.
That intrinsically weak politician, Joe Biden, in a time of inflation, debt and war, can only think of dishing out more taxpayer money to college graduates and Tesla buyers.
On Friday Mr. Musk tweeted:
Countries should be increasing nuclear power generation! It is insane from a national security standpoint & bad for the environment to shut them down.
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