nuclear-news

Solar energy electricity getting cheaper than nuclear

The conclusion is that as of 2010, North Carolina is witnessing a historic crossover between the price of nuclear power and that of solar PV….the conclusions of such study are ……..about the final cost to consumers, given the existing incentives.

Nuclear vs Solar: Clash of the Numbers Environmental News Network, 24 Sept 10, A very interesting and controversial study emerged recently, comparing nuclear and solar costs no less.The study, “Solar and Nuclear Costs — The Historic Crossover”, was prepared by John O. Blackburn and Sam Cunningham for NC Warn, a climate change nonprofit watchdog. The paper, focused on the costs of electricity in North Carolina (US), describes the solar photovoltaic (PV) business, summarizing its history of sharply declining prices, along with the very different path taken in recent years by nuclear power, whose costs have been steadily rising.
The conclusion is that as of 2010, North Carolina is witnessing a historic crossover between the price of nuclear power and that of solar PV. The crossover is said to be happening at 0.16 $/kWh. It is important to note that these costs are calculated as net figures after subsidies.

Where do the numbers come from? The study collected figures from local solar industry sources, to come up with a “capital cost” for solar PV electricity, and relied on a study on nuclear price trends by Mark Cooper’s, “The Economics of Nuclear Reactors: Renaissance or Relapse?”, for a comparison with nuclear power. The “net prices” are then obtained by deducting from those “capital costs” whatever forms of subsidies, rebates and tax credits are available in the US. This means the conclusions of such study are not about a Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) comparison, but rather about the final cost to consumers, given the existing incentives.

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability News: Nuclear vs Solar: Clash of the Numbers

September 25, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, renewable energy, renewables, solar