Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wow its so easy, can't believe all those idiots trying to build nuclear plants the past few decades have never though to simply apply "better tech". Thanks hacker news/silicon valley!
The barriers, time, and cost for nuclear seem to be primarily of political origin, not technical. It's held to an unreasonable higher standard than anything else.
Nuclear is an inherently centralized technology, in contrast to solar and wind which can be controlled at a more local level, even down to the individual home owner and land owner. Even with small plants purported to be in the works, the cost scale is not in reach of an individual family like solar panels can be. That centralization of nuclear brings with it things like corruption, taxation, cost overruns, and cleanup costs that are not accounted for in the lifetime of the politicians whose buddies are benefitting from the contracts. So I wouldn't say the higher bar is unreasonable.