5 ms·
that “cost” in nuclear has more to do with regulations rather than technology.
by option 5y ago
that “cost” in nuclear has more to do with regulations rather than technology.
- apcragg 5y agoWhat regulations, specifically, do you mean?
- danhor 5y agoThe regulations are a consequence of the technology being risky if not properly regulated. This does not apply to most renewables (with the exception of dams for electricity generation)
- bassman9000 5y agoI don't think we've even started to account the immense costs of reciclying solar panels. Not even mentioning wind turbines, which today are partly not even recyclable. A nuclear power plant can last 50-75 years. What are we going to do with millions of heavy-metal filled solar panels?
- Reason077 5y ago> "immense costs of reciclying solar panels ... A nuclear power plant can last 50-75 years." How long do you think it takes to "recycle" a nuclear power plant after it finishes operation? Decommissioning an old nuclear power plant can take more than 100 years and costs billions. Decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's fleet of 17 retired Magnox reactors, built between the 1950s and 1970s, is estimated to cost in excess of £100 billion, and will still be ongoing well into the 22nd century: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-UK-nuclear-clean-up-cost-estimate-dips-to-154-billion-15071602.html https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-UK-nuclear-clean-up-co... Is it really fair for us to keep offloading these costs and problems onto future generations?
- pfdietz 5y agoThe cost of recycling solar panels is maybe $.01/watt, if that? It's a small fraction of the cost of installing the solar panels. This also assumes the solar panels even need to be recycled. Maybe to recover silver from front contact wires?
- pydry 5y agoDeregulated nuclear power is a terrifying prospect.
- option 5y agowhy is it always one extreme or another in US?! Have a look at France - they get over 70% of their electricity from nuclear just fine. And it is much cleaner and cheaper than in Germany which opts for Russian gas instead.
- pydry 5y agoFrance is fine for the next 10 years but all of its plants will start aging out - more or less at the same time. That either means a gargantuan cost to build new plants (making germany's recent renewables building spree look cheap) or trying to make a plant that was designed for 80 years last 100 with all of the exciting safety concerns which go with it.
- bassman9000 5y agoThose plants can be licensed, easily, for another 25 years. What about solar panels?
- Reason077 5y ago> "Have a look at France - they get over 70% of their electricity from nuclear just fine" Even France has cooled on nuclear due to the high costs involved. As old reactors are decommissioned, they plan to replace them mainly with renewables: https://www.power-technology.com/comment/renewable-energy-to-lead-the-capacity-mix-over-nuclear-power-in-france-by-2028/ https://www.power-technology.com/comment/renewable-energy-to...