Scott Jewett, the Libertarian candidate for Florida Governor, wants to energize the Sunshine State with thorium.
In an exclusive interview with The Floridian on November 19, Jewett discussed his energy plans, expressing that he is “a big supporter of nuclear energy.”
“I know that everything that we consume in the world is just a bundle of energy,” he said, noting that the food that we eat and the car that we drive “all came out of the ground, and they’re all a combination of energy.”
Calling nuclear energy “the safest of any kind of energy,” Jewett cited that “fewer people have died or gotten sick from nuclear energy than anything else.” He added that “it doesn’t put out the Co2 that other options do,” emphasizing that it’s inexpensive, clean, and safe.
Thorium, in layman’s terms, is a naturally occurring metal that is more common than uranium, which is used in today’s nuclear power plants. According to the World Nuclear Association, thorium is roughly three times more abundant on Earth than uranium.
It cannot generate power by itself, but it can be converted inside special nuclear reactors into a fissile fuel (uranium-233). Proponents argue that thorium could power reactors that produce less long-lived nuclear waste, rely on more abundance, domestically available resources, and carry a lower risk of weapons proliferation.
While some argue that the transition to thorium is a pipe dream, Jewett says it’s within the state’s ability to shift.
“I know that FPL has a couple of nuclear power plants right here in the state,” he said, adding that “there are modular nuclear reactors that are being produced that could literally be installed in a matter of a few years instead of 10 to 15.”
Citing reports on thorium’s potential, Jewett described demonstrations showing that “a guy will hold up what looks like a stainless-steel golf ball sized ball, and he says, ‘this amount of thorium will provide enough power for everything you need from the time you’re born till the time you die.’” Jewett emphasized, “That one little ball.”
“It’s not a runaway reaction like uranium is where you can have a meltdown, so thorium is very safe,” he reiterated.
If uranium didn’t serve “a dual purpose,” Jewett argues, the U.S. would have far more thorium reactors today.
“It was nuclear power plants, but it was also for nuclear bombs,” Jewett explained. “So, back in the 40s and 50, that’s where the focus went because they could use that to develop it for nuclear weapons. Their secondary use was for power plants.”
However, Jewett contends that “if thorium had been considered and used, we’d have much safer nuclear power plants today than we’ve ever had, and talk about almost free energy once you put it in!”
Because of this, the gubernatorial hopeful believes that Florida should be more welcoming of thorium.
“I’m a big believer in the potential outcome for nuclear fusion, which hasn’t proven itself out yet, but I think we will crack that eventually. But there’s no reason to consider that if you think about thorium because it’s inexpensive, it’s 100 times more prevalent in the Earth than uranium is, and it’s very safe,” Jewett said. “It’s been a challenge technically, but China right now has thorium reactors up and running. Shame on us for not considering it, and for a state like Florida, it’s not going to interrupt our ecology. It’s not going to pollute our environment. It’s not going to put out Co2.”
Jewett further shared that he has reached out to FPL to discuss expanding thorium use in Florida.
When speaking to an engineer at FPL, Jewett shared his enthusiasm to see Florida lead with thorium. “We need to support FPL’s nuclear efforts, and I want to talk to your team about how I could do that as Governor,” he said.
