Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

OKIsItJustMe

(20,731 posts)
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:08 PM 3 hrs ago

Why are wind and solar being deployed faster than nuclear?

It’s a simple fact that wind and solar farms are being completed at an increasing rate, while nuclear plants are not.



International Energy Agency | World Energy Outlook 2024


Why? Because wind and solar can be deployed more quickly, and are more cost effective than nuclear power. This table compares the costs of a few different technologies. I have edited it to focus on the United States, how much does it cost to build a new plant (in terms of $/kW) and what is the ultimate cost (in dollars) of producing a megawatt-hour of electricity using each technology.


Notes: O&M = operation and maintenance; LCOE = levelised cost of electricity; VALCOE = value-adjusted LCOE; kW = kilowatt; MWh = megawatt-hour; CCGT = combined-cycle gas turbine; n.a. = not applicable. Cost components, LCOE and VALCOE figures are rounded. Lower values for VALCOE indicate improved competitiveness.
Sources: IEA analysis; IRENA (2024).

International Energy Agency | World Energy Outlook 2024

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

OKIsItJustMe

(20,731 posts)
2. That's true, but industry tends to favor profits over safety
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:17 PM
3 hrs ago

Assuming a kilowatt-hour of electricity has a constant sales price, solar and wind are more profitable than nuclear power, because they cost less to produce.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,361 posts)
3. The costs to implement are way less than nuclear power. And it gets more apparent every day.
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:21 PM
3 hrs ago

There may be a future for nuclear with mini-reactors, but it's not deployable yet.

OKIsItJustMe

(20,731 posts)
6. Another reason for industry to prefer wind and solar is the time to deploy
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:33 PM
3 hrs ago

With lower upfront costs, and faster deployment times that means the profits come in faster as well.

duncang

(3,591 posts)
7. To me another advantage is it's a lot more modular.
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:39 PM
3 hrs ago

You can easily do copy cat installations. Need a little more power add more turbines and batteries as needed. Doing baby steps. Want to add a nuclear power plant and that takes a lot of commitment.

OKIsItJustMe

(20,731 posts)
8. Yes, absolutely, and the IEA makes this clear
Wed Nov 20, 2024, 11:53 PM
3 hrs ago

PV panels are mass produced in factories, then, you can deploy them on a single home, or as part of a large solar “farm." The size of the farms can vary tremendously, depending on available space. In addition, while it’s nice to have a source of water to wash off solar panels now and again, a nuclear plant needs to be built by a significant body of water, to drive its steam turbines.

moniss

(5,705 posts)
10. Some peoploe who push nuclear do so because of the increased
Thu Nov 21, 2024, 12:20 AM
2 hrs ago

cost of construction. The more expensive the project the more ways there are to scam on a project and the bigger the potential reward. Many times the crooked GQP will turn their back on a simple solution or cheap program in favor of one that's more complex, higher cost and more likely to generate more money to be loose for political donations.

OKIsItJustMe

(20,731 posts)
11. Well, sure, graft and corruption are always factors
Thu Nov 21, 2024, 12:44 AM
2 hrs ago

However, I was trying to focus on the straightforward financial logic. Wind and solar produce greater profits, faster than nuclear.

Here in New York, a significant portion of our power is generated using hydro (“hello Niagara Falls!”) and nuclear, but I’m signed up with a commercial outfit that offers a flat discount of 10% on power generated by their solar farms. It’s amazing how many people I talk to who think “there must be a catch."

moniss

(5,705 posts)
12. Yes indeed please don't misunderstand I was trying to
Thu Nov 21, 2024, 01:38 AM
1 hr ago

just add a tangential point. The various calculations and comparisons also sometimes do not include entire lifetime costs. That can be where the cost per kW can go off the charts because of accounting for nuclear waste storage, transportation, monitoring, clean-up etc.

Just think of how high the dollars per kW will be for Fukishima.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Environment & Energy»Why are wind and solar be...