4 ms·

Nuclear was a great choice in the 1970s, when France started seriously investing in it, but solar & wind have come a long way since then.

Mo3 2y ago
Nuclear is still by the far the best in any kind of metric
- coldtea 2y ago
  If one doesn't count the ever-present possibility of freak accidents, the externalities, or the endless heaps of subsidies for nuclear (some covert in the way of colonial arrangements and other ways, others open), yes.
  - ta1243 2y ago
    Is it really? The cost per MWh generated seems far higher
- derriz 2y ago
  Could you name these metrics? Because, nuclear loses according to all of these metrics, for a start: 1. the cost of energy produced. 2. operational flexibility (ability to follow demand). 3. operational cost (the average nuclear plant in the US employs 750). 4. project risk Pretty much everything beats nuclear on 1, 3 and 4 while gas turbines, batteries and hydro beat nuclear on 2. It doesn't even win on the fuel cost metric, given wind turbines and solar PV have zero costs in this regard.
- adrianN 2y ago
  Except cost, construction time, and public acceptance.
stavros 2y ago
They have. So has nuclear.
- j-pb 2y ago
  You mean by becoming more expensive over time[0]? 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source
  - stavros 2y ago
    Bread has become more expensive over time too. I still buy it.
    - j-pb 2y ago
      It seems that you haven't checked out the reference, because during the same time renewables became 2x cheaper than Nuclear at it's best, and 4x cheaper than Nuclear is right now. If you still buy the same brand of 4$ bread made from exotic imported ingredients and a non-bio-degradable packaging that needs to be stored for thousands of years and can only be bought in 2 Ton Loafs from a government-owned centralized bakery that hasn't baked bread in years, and requires a nuclear physics degree to be sliced. Instead of buying the 1$ Bread that is currently produced in high quantities, can be bought from your lokal bakery, has bio-degradable packaging, mostly local incredients, can be baked by any engineer and bought and cut by private individuals. Then I think that could be called nostalgic at best. It certainly doesn't speak of economic literacy.
      - stavros 2y ago
        If I can only buy the $1 bread during the day, that's an issue, as I might also be hungry at night.
        j-pb 2y ago
        At night most people sleep so you don't need as much bread, and in case you do get hungry you can just eat the other brand that costs 1$. The "Dunkelflaute" is extremely rare [0]. 0: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkelflaute https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkelflaute

Mo3 2y ago

Nuclear is still by the far the best in any kind of metric

coldtea 2y ago
If one doesn't count the ever-present possibility of freak accidents, the externalities, or the endless heaps of subsidies for nuclear (some covert in the way of colonial arrangements and other ways, others open), yes.
- ta1243 2y ago
  Is it really? The cost per MWh generated seems far higher
derriz 2y ago
Could you name these metrics? Because, nuclear loses according to all of these metrics, for a start: 1. the cost of energy produced. 2. operational flexibility (ability to follow demand). 3. operational cost (the average nuclear plant in the US employs 750). 4. project risk Pretty much everything beats nuclear on 1, 3 and 4 while gas turbines, batteries and hydro beat nuclear on 2. It doesn't even win on the fuel cost metric, given wind turbines and solar PV have zero costs in this regard.
adrianN 2y ago
Except cost, construction time, and public acceptance.

stavros 2y ago

They have. So has nuclear.

j-pb 2y ago
You mean by becoming more expensive over time[0]? 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source
- stavros 2y ago
  Bread has become more expensive over time too. I still buy it.
  - j-pb 2y ago
    It seems that you haven't checked out the reference, because during the same time renewables became 2x cheaper than Nuclear at it's best, and 4x cheaper than Nuclear is right now. If you still buy the same brand of 4$ bread made from exotic imported ingredients and a non-bio-degradable packaging that needs to be stored for thousands of years and can only be bought in 2 Ton Loafs from a government-owned centralized bakery that hasn't baked bread in years, and requires a nuclear physics degree to be sliced. Instead of buying the 1$ Bread that is currently produced in high quantities, can be bought from your lokal bakery, has bio-degradable packaging, mostly local incredients, can be baked by any engineer and bought and cut by private individuals. Then I think that could be called nostalgic at best. It certainly doesn't speak of economic literacy.
    - stavros 2y ago
      If I can only buy the $1 bread during the day, that's an issue, as I might also be hungry at night.
      - j-pb 2y ago
        At night most people sleep so you don't need as much bread, and in case you do get hungry you can just eat the other brand that costs 1$. The "Dunkelflaute" is extremely rare [0]. 0: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkelflaute https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkelflaute