The Democrats are about to make fools of themselves, having learned nothing from Republicans.
Fool’s Mission Set to Unfold
Bloomberg reports Democrats Embrace the Ted Cruz Shutdown Strategy They Once Loathed
When Ted Cruz’s strategy to defund the Affordable Care Act led to an epic government shutdown fight a dozen years ago, Democrats excoriated him as a villain. Now, they’ve adopted the same tactic, though with the opposite goal — preserving Affordable Care Act and other health-care subsidies.
Back then, the Texas Republican was the major force behind the failed effort to eliminate funding for the ACA, at one point giving a 21-hour speech that included a reading of “Green Eggs and Ham.” House and Senate Republican leaders later confessed they thought the freshman firebrand’s strategy was dumb, with no clear endgame, but they went along with it anyway. (Then-Speaker John Boehner, a fellow Republican, would later call Cruz “Lucifer in the flesh.”)
The shutdown ended after 16 days when Republicans agreed to reopen the government — over Cruz’s objections — without getting anything in return.
President Barack Obama then, like Donald Trump now, refused to negotiate to keep the government open. Meanwhile Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is faulting Republicans for the looming shutdown because GOP leaders aren’t negotiating with him — the exact complaint Republicans had about Democrats 12 years ago.
While the tactics are the same, Schumer insisted Friday the fights themselves are very different — and that the public is on their side.
“They were taking something away. We’re trying to restore something that they took away,” he said. “It’s a world of difference.”
Trump Predicts Government Could ‘Very Well’ Shut Down Oct. 1
Also consider Trump Predicts Government Could ‘Very Well’ Shut Down Oct. 1
President Donald Trump predicted that a US government shutdown is likely, citing a stalemate between his party and Democrats.
“We’ll continue to talk to the Democrats but I think you could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office.
US equity markets, large-cap companies and major US government contractors are unlikely to be affected much in a short shutdown, even if it continues for a few weeks, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis. But a longer funding lapse could start to impact economic growth, with a month-long shutdown lowering quarterly GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points as a rule of thumb, according to Bloomberg Economics.
Democrats are demanding a boost to health care spending while Republicans refuse to go along and instead back a simple bill to keep the lights on through Nov. 21.
“The choice is pretty clear,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said just before the chamber’s vote earlier Friday. “It’s going to be funding the government through a clean, short-term continuing resolution or it’s going to be a government shutdown. That’s the choice Democrats have.”
The $1.5 trillion Democratic measure would spend $350 billion to extend permanently expiring Obamacare tax subsidies for the middle class and would reverse a nearly $1 trillion cut to Medicaid spending enacted by Republicans as part of Trump’s tax legislation this summer.
Please note that it’s Republicans who want a clean continuing resolution now, having ousted Kevin McCarthy for going along with one.
A stopgap bill is necessary to keep government agencies running after the end of the month because Congress has, as has become its habit, failed to pass any of the annual appropriations bills on time.
Related Posts
January 6, 2024: Two Weeks to Fix Three Problems, Republicans Will Cave In Again
Budget problems haven’t changed for a year: the debt ceiling, Ukraine, and the Border. Israel is logically a distinct issue but is lumped with Ukraine. A partial government shutdown looms on January 19.
Flashback January 18, 2024: Mike Johnson Is the New (But Not Improved) Kevin McCarthy
The House just passed Mike Johnson’s bipartisan continuing resolution punt. Dear Republicans, please wave the white flag and surrender before doing more damage, because more damage is on the table just today.
The sad reality is that attempting to force spending issues Republicans could not possibly control caused delays. And with every delay, additional issues arose and more spending came into the picture.
HGOP Deal on Child Tax Credits
Amazingly, the GOP House Ways and Means Committee agreed to a ridiculous tradeoff with the Democrats that will cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
For discussion, please see How Much Will That GOP Deal on Child Tax Credits Really Cost?
February 27, 2024: This Spending Fight Will End the Way they Always Do, More Money for Everything
I never understand the government shutdown fears. There is always a deal or Republican capitulation.
The party that starts these shudowns always chickens out.
Will this time be any different?
If so, why?
We MUST vote out dimms & RINOs in the midterms. A conservative Congress can’t do everything in two years, but they & Mr. T can get in a good foundation for conservative constitutional lawmakers who follow.
I don’t worry about party. I say vote Constitutional Conservative.
I think we should say “Constitutional Conservative” more than or instead of Republican. I say that because Fake Republicans (RINOs) may be conflated with Conservative Republicans & confuse new & occasional voters.
When commenting we MUST be sure RINOs & Conservatives are set apart.
SamFox
Memo to Democrats: Many of your long term voters have now seen that your party is the flaming bag of dog excrement you left on our front porch before knocking and running away
Carville’s advice still holds true, ‘don’t get in the way. A serious recession is coming.
If only there was a American Centrist party for the central 60-70% reasonable citizens. Let the extreme right and left call each other names, make their unreasonable policies, have their respective bias media platforms, and receive their representative 15-20 % of the popular vote
Is it possible that less spending by “low income people” is because they don’t live here any more?
“Democrats are demanding a boost to health care spending while Republicans refuse to go along…”
Over half the children have chronic disease, which continues into adulthood. It is something we can’t afford to continue. The public health agencies have ignored the problem, despite “disease control” and “health” being in their titles.
“AI overview: No, the statement that half of US children have a chronic disease is not accurate.”
Let it shut down. For the most part one never notices the difference of non essential government employees not going to work. This is a golden opportunity for POTUS who needs to prune hard during this opportunity.
In the far away land of Argentina, where the crypto boys run, the “prosperity through austerity” ain’t going so well
Can’t have that explode all over the veil of consequences that is supposed to remain in place before the midterms
WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said “all options for stabilization are on the table” to support Argentina, with more details available after Argentine President Javier Milei and U.S. President Donald Trump meet on Tuesday. “These options may include, but are not limited to, swap lines, direct currency purchases, and purchases of U.S. dollar-denominated government debt from Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund,” Bessent wrote on X.
We’re next, in Casino Finance Land. China is putting out affordable EVs, we are opening our system to Ponzi gimmicks.
So frustrating to think through a big comment and then get caught by dumb filter
The situations are politically different because the healthcare subsidy cuts are something average people are going to experience in the short term.
The Democratic base is screaming for leaders to act boldly, and yet they have few options. Schumer’s strategy so far has been to give the Republicans enough rope to hang themselves, but so much of the Democratic base is screaming for a fight that “FA&FO’ as a strategy is becoming toxic.
Even if the Democrats end up backing down without gaining anything legislatively, news coverage of their policy demands will firmly hang the coming healthcare cost inscreases on the Republicans (who are in fact the ones to blame.) Millions of people are going to see big increases in health insurance this year, and in a time when price inflation remains a political hot potato, this will be particularly dangerous to the party responsible.
Furthermore I am willing to bet that “government shutdown” won’t stick to Democrats like it did to Republicans because the fight is not over something abstract to most voters. Additionally I think the shocking sense of dysfunction experienced with previous shutdown theatrics will not carry the same weight this time- not after the dysfunction of DOGE, militarization of cities, corruption, sex trafficking coverup, and all the other madness that this admin has pulled over the course of the year. Dysfunction is just normal now.
Hopefully the experience enjoyed by those expecting “stimulus” (the class of buyers of luxury handbags) will exceed the pain of former beneficiaries of ACA.
The subsidies were an emergency measure during the pandemic. The pandemic is over. It’s time to move on. If the GOP can’t stand firm on phasing them out, they’re pathetic.
I’m not going to predict that they won’t cave, though. I learned my lesson – never underestimate the capacity for the GOP to cave in and spend money just as recklessly as democrats.
Robert Kagan Foresees Critical Geopolitical Juncture
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/robert-kagan-foresees-critical-geopolitica
“This passage is remarkable because it demonstrates the sheer lawlessness and amorality of the theoretical framework under which Kagan’s world view operates. There is a kind of coldblooded aloofness to the horrors of war and mass extinction which finds comfort in his soul. The casualness with which he invokes hypothetical NATO strikes on Russia while bragging “Checkmate!” like it’s some kind of tabletop game is a window into the man’s coldly inhuman metaphysics. This is only underscored by his seeming regret the US did not carry out such unprovoked attacks on Russia which would potentially see humanity’s swift extinction.”
That’s an example of our real government. Seems like a cross pollination of mafiosos and psychologist addicted to Thucydides and off-label prescriptions.
It’s an example of a people who consider every other people cattle.
It is a very simple absolutist zero-sum consciousness: there are only winners and losers. Per that thinking, there is no pie to grow widely for all: that is a free-rider’s fraud, all that weak sharing and caring stuff. And of course there are no intermediate shades or gradients to this: pedal to the metal, let ‘r rip!
Who is he married to? I forgot.
🙂
Low-income Americans slash spending, a worrying sign for the economySpending is softening in a “fragmented way,” analysts warn, and even wealthy Americans are scaling back.
U.S. economy feels the pinch as low-income consumers cut spending – The Washington Post (archive.ph)
Trump needs lower rates and a smaller gov. Chick might deliver both.
Smaller government? After Musk took all the slings and arrows with DOGE, Trump went and signed a colossal waste of a bill with trinkets and baubles for every republican – especially “defense” contractors.
Trump doesn’t care you’ve seen the charade, enough never will
Here’s a GREAT legal freeview documentary. His fix is not described other than passing this along to educate more people and preparing [he doesn’t say how] for the inevitable collapse of this system which will be “fixed” via The Great Reset.
The Biggest Scam in the History of Mankind (our financial system)
2013 · 30 min
TV-14
Documentary
Mike Maloney presents a fascinating look at the Federal Reserve [and associated components -W], involving secrets that impact your finances as well as the world economy.
https://tubitv.com/movies/586976/the-biggest-scam-in-the-history-of-mankind
“It was Henry Ford who said in substance this: ‘It is perhaps well enough that the people of the nation do not know or understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning’.” – Charles Binderup, 19 March 1937 in the House of Representatives (Congressional Record—House 81:2528)
Question to Grok: Explain how a US government debt ceiling is a fraud due to the need to increase debt to pay the interest on previously acquired debt, an inherent problem in a “money as debt” system and due to the dependence of the US economy on the growth of government debt.
Grok 3 AI:
[huge snip of supporting facts for the conclusion]
In summary, the debt ceiling is labeled a fraud by critics because it’s an illusory constraint in a system ***where debt must grow to service itself***, sustain money creation, and drive economic activity. This perspective is prominent in alternative economic circles.
—————
From “Money as Debt I – Revised Edition 2009 (Full Movie) (46:20)” on YouTube which PROVES the following to be true in GREAT DETAIL.
Excerpts (bracketed comments are mine):
“Isn’t it astounding that despite the incredible wealth of resources, innovation and productivity that surrounds us, almost all of us from governments to companies to individuals are heavily in debt to bankers. If only people would stop and think, “How can that be? How can it be that the people who actually produce all the real wealth in the world are in debt to those who merely lend out the money that represents the wealth?” Even more amazing is that once we realize that money really is [created from the issuance of loans] debt, we realize that if there was no debt there’d be no money. If this is news to you, you are not alone. Most people imagine that if all debts were paid off the state of the economy would improve. It’s certainly true on an individual level. Just as we have more money to spend when our loan payments are finished, we think that if everyone were out of debt there would be more money to spend in general. But the truth is the exact opposite. There would be no money at all. There it is. We are totally dependent on continually renewed bank credit for there to be any money in existence. No loans, no money.”
“Banks create [via the issuance of loans/debt] only the amount of the principal. They don’t create the money to pay the interest. Where is that supposed to come from? The only place borrowers can go to obtain the money to pay interest is the general economy’s overall money supply, but almost almost all that overall money supply has been created exactly the same way, as bank credit that has to be paid back with more than was created. So everywhere there are other borrowers in the same situation frantically trying to obtain the money they need to pay back both principle and interest from a total money pool which contains only the principal. The big problem here is that for long-term loans such as mortgages and government debt, the total interest far exceeds the principle, so unless a lot of extra money is created to pay the interest, it means a very high proportion of foreclosures and a non-functioning economy. To maintain a functional society, the rate of foreclosure needs to be low and so to accomplish this more and more new debt money has to be created to satisfy today’s demands for money to service the previous debt. But of course this just makes the total debt bigger and that means more interest must ultimately be paid resulting in an ever escalating and inescapable spiral of mounting indebtedness. It is only the time lag between money’s creation as new loans and its repayment that keeps the overall shortage of money from catching up and bankrupting the entire system. However as the bank’s insatiable credit monster gets bigger and bigger, the need to create more and more debt money to feed it becomes increasingly urgent.”
About that last paragraph, what that results in BY NECESSITY is an EXPONENTIAL increase in debt.
https://www.mybudget360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/total-credit-market-debt-us.png
The downward blip starting at 2007 resulting in a curve slope reduction was the Global Financial Crisis where debt was extinguished via bankruptcies.
Eventually, the slope of the curve which indicates the need for additional debt will be so high that new debt can’t be created fast enough. It is THAT which makes eventual collapse inevitable.
The idea that money is debt has been true for centuries. Gold was money too, but only for a tiny fraction of the population (the uber wealthy). Money was always the IOU in some form. A farmer needs his plow fixed but has no money because the crop hasn’t come in yet. He gives the blacksmith an IOU for the fix. The blacksmith trades the IOU for a piece of furniture, and so on. Ad in a clerk (usually a trusted church cleric) to record and break up the IOUs into smaller, more easily spendable units, and you get a workable paper money system. When the crops come in, the IOUs are all paid off, and the cycle repeats. The difference is interest, which for the most part, didn’t exist in the IOU system. With one exception: when you went to the wealthy guy to meet your needs. He always charged interest. Which is the foundation of the modern banking system.
> “The Democrats are about to make fools of themselves, having learned nothing from Republicans.”
Sorry but no. These actors are about to make fools of everyone but their donors. Politics is like WWE but with higher revenue.
We should stop commenting online and start meetups for the purpose of doing something about this mess, before they impoverish us all. Solicit someone in your neighborhood to run for the House. Use an LLM to discover how to register an independent candidate.
There is no other way out of this, peacefully.
I won’t be participating because I already voted with my feet.
I have my own version of numbed withdrawal. The centers of attention are getting white hot and very agitated and noisy.
Don’t forget our friend (massive surveillance security contractor with straight lines to major enforcement agencies) will be eyeing every second of it. And if Dems take power, guess which massive surveillance/security contractor will suddenly pull the plug, unless its continuing influence is assured? This is beginning to get a toe into everyday Stalin citizen subjective/emotional experience. Forgetting the lessons of history, as in trying to cancel the entire 20th century (not hard with this population’s level of dumbed-numbed consumerization), can’t pass without consequences.
= gold 3750, new record
do people realise that at start of 2024 gold was 2000$, and now it is almost 4000$
it is +-40% per year growth. 2d year in row
and it is only beginning
alx
It’s up from $8,000/kilo in 2002 to $120,000/kilo in 2025. And that’s is good enough.
This is one of the most overbought gold markets we’ve ever seen, and if it follows trends of History, a major downfall is on the way!
Hmm… Seems like it rocketed up Higher, and just in time to sell off. Whom saw that coming?
What an irrelevant story. This is just business as normal.
Mish, after repeating right wing nonsense about free speech in the UK (repeating JD Vance’s fake indignity about non-issues).
The biggest threat to the US is media capture as has happened in Russia and Hungary. Last week was a big week in alarm bells for this – where is your commentary about this?
=s media capture as has happened in Russia and Hungary
what?? what about Hungary? enlighten us?
i suppose you are know Hungary language,otherwise how would you know what happened in Hungary ? reading cnn/bbc?
=====
btw, mo1ron
do you even know that Hungary lang is not Slavic one? or where did ancient people of Hungary come from?
cant wait for answer.
Read this….but before you do check on the credentials of IPI (which are solid): https://ipi.media/publications/media-capture-monitoring-report-hungary/
= Last week was a big week in alarm bells for this –
what last week? jimmy kimmel was booted? jesus!!! sun fall down on earth!!!
======
mor11on , how old are you ?
1 week after 9**11 bill maher was booted from tv after saying that 9*11 terro11rists were not cowards?
do you even understand how stup11id you are?
alx
It is the way that this is being done not what has actually happened. Two threads:
BTW – love your reasoned response – do you teach your kids to act like this as well?
Don’t forget the 125,000 who watched the show.
I’ve read that the decision to can Kimmel came when he refused to apologize for saying that the shooter was part of the MAGA tribe. It could have been a simple “I misspoke”, but he refused, so ABC suspended his show – before any pressure from the White House. The pressure was already coming from affiliates in red and purple states tired of alienating potential viewers. Kimmel and Colbert and Meyers have killed late night TV with their extreme partisanship.
The shooter was another mentally ill MAGA moron with a trans partner. That’s just how it is. They are a strange bunch.
He didn’t say the guy was MAGA – his point was that people were trying to make political capital out of the situation before anybody knew what was going on. However, he did clearly say that this was a MAGA reaction when I’m sure there was equal exploitation on the left. So the comment was biased but hardly worthy of the outrage it provoked.
I suspect that a show like Kimmel would not be allowed in Europe but then nor would Fox.
More disturbing is the lack of healing words from Trump or Vance.
After all, it isn’t like Trump has ever made any intemperate or excessive remarks about anyone.
Bull. The “making political capital” part was fine. He absolutely implied the guy was MAGA. Here is the quote:
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN ONE OF THEM and with everything they can to score political points from it.”
..and here it what Vance said before any facts were known:
“an incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism … is part of the reason why Charlie was killed”
For me, ad hominem in a comment on a financial blog doesn’t strengthen any point made – and in this case there is no point made.
Please go away.
But what if that is my raison d’être?
The U.S. media has already been captured by the Democratic party.
The liberal democrats just complained the government captured the media and all because a brain dead white multi millionaire liberal living in his echo chamber thinks he can out right lie on national television.
The UK nonsense? sure
When it comes to foreign policy, the main media outlets are direct tools of the various entities:
NYT> FBI
WaPo > CIA
CNN > State Department
This does not preclude CIA assertions to be promulgated via the NYT or Wall Street Journal.
Yeah, but who cares? All 3 of those agencies have been weakened, and are not credible sources anymore.
If you want to know what the US is doing overseas, read the foreign wire services.
The problem for the Democrats is that the Republicans have proven faithless in negotiations. Continuing resolutions were passed, but Republicans impounded spending or made recisions to cut spending later (which only require 50% of Congress votes. What’s the point of Democrats negotiating for some spending goal, or even to keep current spending, if Republicans will just cut it anyway? Voting for the bill just gives Republicans carte Blanche to do what they want.
OT but not ot…
On a related topic; Gold is rising again as this situation creates even more uncertainty on top of the insanely random and inconsistent tariff policy, extortive immigration & H1b visa policy, and now massive cuts to profits to the insurance companies that milk our healthcare system.
Got mining company exposure?
My thought is that mining companies will be expanding their dividends as they are making huge windfall profits.
Last quarter AEM averaged $3,288 per ounce and this quarter it will be around $3,500 per ounce and in the fourth quarter? Who knows, but over $3,700 on 875,000 ounces per quarter.
Last year this figure was only $2,500!
Costs have gone up only $10 per ounce while margins have exploded up by around $1,200 per ounce. (to margins of over $2,300 on every ounce).
Both gross and net margins are exceeding the margins on NVIDIA (which finances its customers through a vendor financing program that is sure to result in bloodshed).
The highest quality miners are bigger growth stocks than the Bubble driven AI leaders! My how fiscal irresponsibility has changed the investing landscape! Lowly mining stocks are growth leaders!
AEM is sitting on a massive pile of cash and increasing its production in mines that have long lives and low costs.
Dividends are almost certain to increase as they have no net debt and are sitting on over three billion in cash after this quarter ends with net profits of $3 billion per quarter as their runway…
it is irrelevant per company stats..
gold is proxy for USA debt.
The sooner the US government is shut down, the better for world peace.
World Peace is the last thing that will happen if the Government “shuts down”.
Empeaching Trump would be the best posible move for world peace.
If the Rebublicans impeach him the Democtates will have to vote to convict I hope.
The Democrates need him in office so they can sweep the Mid-terms, and then impeach him.
I’m confused … a continuing resolution based on what? Hasn’t the Trump adminin busted down many of the department budgets through unilateral cuts and recessions?
What legal basis would there be for a CR?
“legal”. How 2010 of you.
Ha ha!
Ah, it’s that time of the year again… since we have it every year, we should name it a National Holiday (with parades in the suburbs etc).
Wouldn’t a shutdown let Trump decide what money was spent and what was not, triaging the money coming in to the advantage of his agenda? Isn’t that additional leverage for the Republicans?
Do federal workers get paid for when the government is “shut down”? Heck, are representatives and senators paid? Not that the bulk of their pay comes from their government salary.
They are all there for the insider trading, and will say and do whatever they need to to stay on that gravy train.
The basics, essential workers are required to work without pay, but are, by law, required to be reimbursed once the shutdown ends.
Fool’s Mission Set to Unfold:
> With the Democrats goal being — “preserving Affordable Care Act and other health-care subsidies”. I would say they are All Fools! We have much debt to pay, that both parties have played a role in. The Party that inherited it however, should never be the Party held responsible, and rarely is. The Party holding back from spite, or worse, thinking hurting Everyone’s Country and Needs, is a winner, is just plain dumb. They will pay very dearly if they go through with it IMO!
– President Donald Trump predicted that a US government shutdown is likely, citing a stalemate between his party and Democrats. > Carefully crafted but in layman terms means: “Make Our Day” as Trump is/has putting the pieces in place already, if they do, and it will get ugly for them in a hurry imo.
– “We’ll continue to talk to the Democrats but I think you could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office. > They can Talk (to the American Citizens) all they want to with there true intentions, and He will remind the American Citizens each and every day of such, until we are opened up again of course…
Proposed “You have One Job” Constitutional Amendment: Congress not allowed to take any recess, nor get paid, from June 1 of each year until all appropriations bills are passed.
For me, the next constitutional amendment would be a separation of state and corporation.
I know it will never happen – yet i think it would solve more problems than it would create.
Would put the brakes on our march to fascism.
Progressives actually want a government shutdown because it reduces what Trump has money to spend on, such as ICE activity.
= what Trump has money to spend on, such as ICE activity.
mor11on! are you even american?
trump spends what congress voted in.. ice budget was voted too.
jesus .
Do you insult everyone you disagree with?
As Jesus how he feels about ICE.
ICE employees are considered essential workers and would be required to continue working without pay. Once the shutdown ends, they will be reimbursed for back wages.
Agreed, Mish, the UniParty never learns. Government shutdowns are just dumb.
We should get rid of the Debt Ceiling for good, so Krugman gets his way:
QE forever & out the wazoo!
Krugman is a QE skeptic, but whatever.
No he’s not. He wants the government to spend money hand over fist. To do so means QE to help buy the bonds that the non-Fed market doesn’t buy
What a show!
Why do we still need to argue over this? With the “trillions and trillions” Trump says we have already collected in tariffs, and the “hundreds of billions” we are about to collect from H1b visas, we should be running a surplus now.
Great point, PapaD!
Keep up the good work & let us know how your comedy career goes.
My career is going great! Thanks!
You have up to 3 more years of “solid material” to work with, unfortunately.
Yep. Lots of opportunities to have some fun and make some money.
Not as a comedian.
Here’s a great Visual Capitalist that we both can get behind.
Chart: What’s Powering New U.S. Electricity?
As you & I both know, solar is the main source of new power generation. No surprise there.
Did you see the OKLO news today? It’s coming, baby!
Oklo Inc. – Oklo Breaks Ground on First Aurora Powerhouse
Not as a comedian.
Here’s a great Visual Capitalist that we both can get behind.
Chart: What’s Powering New U.S. Electricity?
As you & I both know, solar is the main source of new power generation. No surprise there.
Did you see the OKLO news today? It’s coming, baby!
OKLO broke ground on its Aurora power system in Idaho. I think it’s more of a test best, but that’s still good news. I think it’s supposed to be ready in 2027.
1. Let me know when/if the test unit is up and running
2. Let me know when actual commercial units are up and running
Here’s a brief breakdown of missed deadlines and terminated Small Modular Reactor (SMR) projects—these are often cited as cautionary tales in the nuclear energy sector:
⚠️ Missed Deadlines in SMR Projects
Several SMR initiatives have faced delays due to regulatory hurdles, funding issues, or technical challenges:
• NuScale Power (USA)• Originally planned to deploy its first SMR by the mid-2020s.
• Faced multiple delays due to licensing complexities and cost escalations.
• The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) project was pushed back several times before being canceled.
• BWRX-300 by GE Hitachi (Canada/USA)• While still active, the timeline for deployment has shifted.
• Initial projections for operation by 2028 have been revised due to permitting and site preparation delays.
• Terrestrial Energy (Canada)• Its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) was expected to be operational by the mid-2020s.
• Delays in regulatory review and financing have pushed timelines further out.
❌ Terminated SMR Projects
Some projects were outright canceled due to economic or political factors:
• UAMPS–NuScale Project (USA)• Terminated in late 2023 after several municipalities withdrew due to rising costs and uncertainty about future electricity demand.
• Westinghouse SMR (USA)• Development halted in 2014 due to lack of customer interest and insufficient federal support.
• AREVA’s SMR (France)• The Flexblue project was shelved due to strategic shifts and lack of market traction.
These examples highlight the challenges SMRs face despite their promise of safer, scalable nuclear energy.
Yes. That is a great chart. Over 90% of new electricity generation from renewables. 8% from natural gas.
And the second chart is great too. Most of the retirements are from coal. Which will continue during Trump’s second term; just like during his first term.
The announcement that caught my attention today was the 10 GW of “additional” AI from NVidea and Open AI. Wonder where the 10GW of power will come from?
As you always correctly, said, both sides will end up compromising with the other endorsing each other‘s increase pending priorities.