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No, the US is not replacing nuclear with coal. It is shutting down nuclear that is aging out, but all energy growth in the past 20 years in the US has been rene
by evgen 5y ago
No, the US is not replacing nuclear with coal. It is shutting down nuclear that is aging out, but all energy growth in the past 20 years in the US has been renewables and gas. Mostly gas. The US is drowning in cheap natural gas from fracking and because of this switch away from coal it is one of the few major western nations to actually reduce its CO2 footprint over the past couple of decades.
- vlovich123 5y agoI hope you realize that natural gas production produces methane instead of CO2. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas.
- dragonwriter 5y ago> I hope you realize that natural gas production produces methane instead of CO2. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas. Natural gas is (primarily) methane, but burning natural gas converts methane into CO2 and water.
- vlovich123 5y agoMy bad. Natural gas still emits 50% of the CO2 that Coal does, so it's still a very significant emitter of CO2 as compared with nuclear. That's ignoring the methane leaks inherent in transporting natural gas.