A reactor is just a too big an investment for most companies in a deregulated market. Screw it up and the entire company might go down the drain. It's even worse as you don't have to screw it up for it too fail. Things far out of your control, like gas prices, might destroy your business.

The modularity of wind and gas (you can't build 200 MW of nuclear) is a great competitive edge as long as the State refuse to regulate the market. Even if nuclear might produce cheaper power than wind or gas on a per kWh basis.

With a carbon tax or cap, the nuclear investment becomes more profitable, making the higher risks more worthwhile. So would loan guarantees. But what's really needed is either a reregulated power market or loan guarantees, or preferably both.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.