> Ah but they do! As we discover those unique problems and how to solve them and how long it takes and the cost, our a priori cost estimate improves.
But it's not just our cost estimate that improves. Gen III reactors were designed with more data on how Gen I reactors were decommissioned than was available when Gen II reactors were being designed, and so on.
Finding a new decommissioning snag affects how you design the next reactor you build, but it doesn't really affect its predicted decommissioning cost because by that point you're aware of the issue and take steps to prevent it from occurring for the generation now being constructed.
But it's not just our cost estimate that improves. Gen III reactors were designed with more data on how Gen I reactors were decommissioned than was available when Gen II reactors were being designed, and so on.
Finding a new decommissioning snag affects how you design the next reactor you build, but it doesn't really affect its predicted decommissioning cost because by that point you're aware of the issue and take steps to prevent it from occurring for the generation now being constructed.