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France’s nuclear socialism – a nightmare, not a miracle

Unlike computers, solar panels, wind turbines and most other high tech projects, nuclear power plants and projects don’t go down in price over time. Instead, the costs escalate, and that’s a recipe for a disaster,

Time to End Nuclear Socialism, Says New Study, Greentech Media, 10 Sept 10, A nuclear plant will cost $7,000 to $10,000 per kilowatt, says Mark Cooper of the University of Vermont. That’s more than wind, solar, storage and other renewables—and the price tag will continue to climb. It shouldn’t be called the French Nuclear Miracle, says Mark Cooper. It’s more like a recurring nightmare.

Unlike computers, solar panels, wind turbines and most other high tech projects, nuclear power plants and projects don’t go down in price over time. Instead, the costs escalate, and that’s a recipe for a disaster, according to a report released today by Cooper, senior fellow for economic analysis at the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School

Rising costs means more expensive energy, he said. It also undermines the purpose of subsidies like government-backed loan guarantees, because the subsidies can’t be phased out due to the continuing price increases. Worse, the vast scope of nuclear projects invariably absorbs the mental energy of utilities and crowd outs investment in other renewables and energy efficiency.

“The French Nuclear Miracle is a misconception. There is no reason to think that things will change if the U.S. follows France,” he said. “It would replicate what I call Nuclear Socialism. Nuclear power would remain a ward of the state.”

While safety has long been a flashpoint, cost and construction issues actually represent much larger problems for the nuclear industry. Banks remain wary of funding these projects. Tight budgets and improving alternative technologies may well soon force governments to decide between funding renewables or nuclear…..

Renewable advocates say that storage, solar thermal and an increase of solar and wind in geographically dispersed areas can provide baseline-quality power.

Meanwhile, fossil fuel advocates say subsidies are bad — unless we’re talking about discount royalties for extraction on federal lands, liability caps and the other subsides that go their way.

Time to End Nuclear Socialism, Says New Study : Greentech Media

September 10, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, politics | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium