india's future: the ugly reality of nuclear power costs
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/business/energy-environment/29nuke.html?ref=business
Some Indian analysts like Swaminathan Aiyar of Swaminomics fame think that cost of nuclear fission reactors will come down as India becomes a manufacturing base.
I have my doubts. For one India does not possess a critical mass of scientific/ intellectual/ academic base in reactor construction that it does in software. Even if this does happen - the deal does not immidiately allow us critical technologies like reprocessing spent fuel. In fact - this might lead to dual slavery. We build cheaper reactors for others (e.g. US, Australia and Canada) while they hold us hostage to Uranium shortages.
Incidentally - Brahma Chellaney has been warning for years about the absurd costs of fission, and Manmohan's pipe-dream deal. India is better served investing in indigenous breeder reactors - or better yet solar power
