If it was profitable to build a nuclear plant utility companies would be building them like crazy. Same goes for wind farms or solar farms, there is not enough ROE for companies to commit to the expenditures needed to build them. The only reason most of the wind farms have been built in this country is because they are subsidized by the government making it feasible to do so.
A great point about subsidizing. However it is not just a return on investment, until these overrated "green" energy sources can generate energy at a cheaper cost which can legitimately compete economically they are a waste of taxpayer dollars to fund. Even though it is nice to say green energy and electric car, at this point they are too expensive for the consumer. An example can been seen in the forced development of the Chevrolet Volt.
MSRP before tax credit is $40,280.
MSRP after tax credit of $7,500 (tax payer dollars) is $32,780.
My nicely equipped Corolla cost about $21,000.
With that approximate $10,000 difference in price I can operate and maintain my Corolla for approximately 8-9 years.
The Volt will need its regular maintenance and a new battery pack in 4-6 years which will be pricey and you probably cant swap them out in the driveway at the house. Oh yeah...you also have to pay for electricity to charge the thing. $$$$
In today's economy it just does not make fiscal sense for a consumer to spend that much money on a car just to say it is green. They only thing I will say about the Volt is that using energy from the grid is more efficient than energy generated in a hybrid car or combustion engine.
Rich
Also, if I remember right, the primary storage concern (volume of waste) is for retired nuclear weapons and the waste generated in creating those weapons. Storage for commercial energy generation is a drop in the proverbial bucket.
