In the middle of an energy affordability crisis – and possibly an energy supply crunch if the US/Israel war on Iran does not end soon – talk of nuclear power is a waste of precious time and political bandwidth. Yet the subject keeps rearing its head. The latest intervention came from Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor, who announced that he would be proposing legislation to remove the ban on nuclear generation in the Irish energy system (although the Bill has not yet been formally published).

While the debate will be useful in dusting off some old arguments, it will not generate a single electron of clean energy. It will not displace a single molecule of fossil gas. It is more likely to generate a lot of hot air. Arguments will be marshalled in favour of small modular reactors (SMRs); we’ll be told about the advantages of stable baseload on the grid and the enviable lower cost of electricity in France. We’ll hear lots about energy security. It will create the appearance of politicians leading from the front, when they are artfully practising avoidance and delay.

I have argued before that there are myriad reasons why nuclear power is not a good option for Ireland, as have others who know a lot more about the topic than me. There’s little serious analysis of the case for nuclear power in Ireland as part of energy and climate policy. None of the utilities believes SMR technology is mature enough for Ireland to take a gamble on it. The ESB’s 2025 Emerging Technology........

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