Hmmm. I can't get up-to-date operating cost figures for coal specifically, but US nuclear is barely cheaper to operate than fossil-powered steam generation in g

Hmmm. I can't get up-to-date operating cost figures for coal specifically, but US nuclear is barely cheaper to operate than fossil-powered steam generation in general these days: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_08_04.html https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_08_04.html (Coal is generally cheaper than the average.) The nasty catch here, of course, is that most of the fossil fuel costs are from fuel and most of the nuclear costs are operation and maintenance. Heavy load following decrease fuel costs but increases operation and maintenance costs - it's more complex to operate a nuclear plant that way, the added thermal stresses increase wear accelerate failures, and the total power generated is lower. That's why nuclear is usually treated as always-on baseload power; not because it's the only way it can be operated, but because it's the most economically viable one.