Thorium is element 90 on the periodic table. The leading proposed technology to utilize it is called LFTR. LFTR stands for Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor and is pronounced like “lifter”. The benefits of LFTR to Nevada will be enormous, including thousands of high paying jobs and cheap power that can either be exported to other states or used to attract new and diverse industries.
When nuclear technologies were being evaluated back in the 1940’s through the 1960’s, thorium was investigated and proven as a technology. However, it was not pursued due to the fact that the technology could not be used to produce bomb material.
LFTR can also be a replacement for other nuclear technologies, such as proposed reactors in other countries which have nuclear proliferation issues. What’s more is that our country’s existing reactors will eventually have to be decommissioned and what will they be replaced with? Not every location is suitable for solar, wind, or geothermal.
Interestingly, a bill worth $250 million was co-sponsored in 2008 by our own Senator Harry Reid to explore thorium technologies, but for some reason he proposed that it be built in Idaho. Check out the Thorium Independence and Security Act of 2008. It has since been reintroduced in 2010, but as of this writing it is still pending consideration from the Senate Committee on Natural and Energy Resources.
- LFTR is safe. It is not pressurized, cannot melt down, and has a simple design that is self-regulating so we avoid the types of risks associated with Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
- LFTR is resistant to Nuclear Proliferation
- LFTR is efficient and much cleaner because almost all of the thorium is consumed in the reaction compared to only 5-10% of Uranium consumed in conventional dirty Light Water Reactors.
- LFTR produces 1,000 to 10,000 times less waste than a conventional Light Water Reactor. 83% of the waste is safe after 10 years, and the remaining 17% after only 300 years.
- Thorium is abundant. As luck would have it, Nevada is particularly rich in natural Thorium deposits. It’s even present on the moon and on Mars, which means that this technology will eventually be used in supporting future space based habitats.
- LFTR not only creates electricity, but it also creates several valuable rare earth byproducts that are necessary in modern electronics and national defense systems. The United States is currently 100% dependent upon imports (mostly from China) for these elements.
On the condition that Yucca and other Nevada land be given back to Nevada, we can agree to have built a number of LFTR reactors in Nevada using money in part from the $30 billion Nuclear Waste Trust Fund. Upon completion of the reactors, we would agree to accept nuclear material from other states that would then be consumed in the thorium reactors. This will both generate electricity and significantly reduce the amount and time required for storage in Yucca Mountain.
Furthermore, the clean nuclear technology we develop and prove in Nevada will be exported to other states and other countries to replace their existing dirty nuclear reactors. This means that the world will have safe, clean, and cheap nuclear power without the risk of nuclear proliferation.
Here are some links to learn more about LFTR
Text Details at Energy From Thorium
4 Minute Short video on LFTR
16 Minute Condensed Video on LFTR
55 Minute Full Version of same video on LFTR
