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Nuclear power getting more costly than solar

proposed new nuclear plants would generate power at a cost of 14 to 18 cents per kilowatt-hour. But commercial-scale solar developers are already offering utilities electricity at 14 cents or less per kWh.

(USA) Solar power now cheaper than nuclear in North Carolina  FACING SOUTH 12 July 2010, While the price of solar photovoltaic systems has been falling for decades, the cost of new nuclear plants has been climbing — and a historic crossover point has been reached in North Carolina, where solar power is now cheaper than nuclear.
That’s the finding of a report by the former chair of Duke University’s economics department that was released yesterday by the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network………….
The report, titled “Solar and Nuclear Costs — The Historic Crossover,” finds that states with open competition for electricity sales are rejecting new nuclear plants for solar, wind, cogeneration and energy efficiency. But states with monopoly power markets like North Carolina are still pushing to build new nuclear reactors — at a cost of billions to the public.

“This state should place a cost cap on new nuclear power — and remove the one on solar,” said Blackburn, referring to 2007 N.C. legislation restricting rate increases for solar energy while requiring that only 0.2% of all utility sales be from solar power.
……….Duke Energy and Progress Energy, North Carolina’s largest utilities, estimate that proposed new nuclear plants would generate power at a cost of 14 to 18 cents per kilowatt-hour. But commercial-scale solar developers are already offering utilities electricity at 14 cents or less per kWh.

ISS – Solar power now cheaper than nuclear in North Carolina

July 12, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | antinuclear, climate change, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, renewable energy, renewables, solar