NPR: A Nuclear-Powered U.S. Still Too Expensive

A Nuclear-Powered U.S. Still Too Expensive

by Chris Arnold

March 16, 2011

The battle to avoid a nuclear disaster in Japan is scary to watch. It might also spark a shift in the nuclear debate in the U.S., where both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried to promote the growth of nuclear power.

At a hearing Wednesday in Congress, that support is likely to be questioned, but lately something more powerful than fear has been keeping nuclear power in check, at least in the U.S.: economics.

Competing With Cheaper Power Producers

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The EIA projects the growth of different types of power plants like natural gas, hydroelectric, nuclear or coal. It predicts some growth in nuclear, about 5 gigawatts from 4 or 5 new nuclear power plants. Not too much, compared to other methods.

"When we look at the gas technologies, we have about 100 gigawatts of combined cycle and combustion turbines," Eynon says. That's 20 times more from natural gas production, which is cheaper to produce. Building natural gas power plants is cheaper, too.

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Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy

Wind energy offers many advantages, which explains why it's the fastest-growing energy source in the world. Research efforts are aimed at addressing the challenges to greater use of wind energy.

Advantages

Wind energy is fueled by the wind, so it's a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses.

Wind energy is a domestic source of energy, produced in the United States. The nation's wind supply is abundant.

Wind energy relies on the renewable power of the wind, which can't be used up. Wind is actually a form of solar energy; winds are caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the earth, and the earth's surface irregularities.

Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available today, costing between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource and project financing of the particular project.

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