Nuclear vs Renewable Energy

Nuclear Melts Down, Renewables Explode It is now obvious that nuclear power development can't keep up with the pace of its renewable energy competitors. While the search for clean energy sources is increasing, nuclear power has been declining for a number of Can't find Too risky Costs too much the necessary private capital reasons: Who's Opting Out of Nuclear? • In May of this year, the Świss government decided to abandon nuclear power in their country. • Their final reactor will go offline in 2034. • On April 4, 2011, Germany's Secretary of State for the Environment and Nuclear Safety announced that Germany will shut down all its nuclear power stations by 2020. • The U.S. and the European Union are not opting out. • In June of this year, the Italian government held a referendum asking voters if they supported their government's nuclear agenda. • The European Union is working on making their 143 nuclear reactors safer with stricter regulations and safety tests, but they have no plans of opting out. •The U.S. will continue their expansion of nuclear • Over 90% said “no." reactors. The Increase in Renewables 55% in 2009 2% in 2004 The share of renewables in new For 15 years, yearly renewable capacity additions have outpaced nuclear start-ups. capacity additions in the U.S. rose from 2% in 2004 to 55% in 2009. During this same time, there were no nuclear capacity additions. $243 billion In 2010, the amount of cumulative installed capacity worldwide from renewables was higher than the installed nuclear capacity. In 2010, it is estimated that $243 billion was invested into renewable energy technologies. TOP 5 China $54.4 $39.1 2010 2009 Countries Germany Investing In Renewable Energy $41.2 $20.6 2010 2009 United States $34 $22.5 2010 2009 Italy $13.9 $6.2 2010 2009 Rest of EU-27 $13.4 $13.3 2010 2009 investment in Billion U.S. $ Why We Don't Use More Renewable Energy In general, most renewable energy power plants have less environmental impact than fossil and nuclear power plants, but there are two main reasons why we don't use more renewable energy: Renewable energy Renewable resources are often geographically technologies are capital intensive. remote. Pros and Cons of Power Sources Nuclear Fuel is inexpensive Energy generation is the most Coal concentrated source Waste is more compact than Inexpensive - about 3.06 per ПT II other sources kWh The new fuel is easily It is easy to recover - transported especially in U.S. and Russia SSSSSS There are no acid rain or green house effects Expensive air pollution controls are required Large capital costs are SSSSSS Produces acid rain and con- tributes to global warming required A large transportation system is required There are long-term and MM m high-level storage issues that must be resolved Potential nuclear Average Cost/kWh 3.06 cents proliferation issue Average Cost/kWh 2.14 cents Gas/Oil Good distribution system in place for the current use levels Usually easy to obtain Hydroelectric A good energy source for space heating Very inexpensive once dam is built шр шо шо Limited availability The U.S. government has heavily invested in building dams SSS Contributes to global warming Limited source because of Energy generation is reliance on water elevation expensive Environmentalists oppose the A dam collapsing can be fatal storage and transmission They negatively affect fish Average Cost/kWh 15 cents Flooded areas cause environmental damage Average Cost/kWh 4 cents Wind Wind is free Good source for farms with water pumping demands The costs of this renewable source are reasonable Solar Perfect for rural areas Sunlight is free The demand is 3x the amount 3x of installed generation Costs are decreasing Can only be in windy areas Can only be in sunny areas Require many towers and are limited to small generators Special mirrors are required, ША A and they can affect the environment Very dependent on the climate A lot of land is needed for the small amount of energy Can affect birds if not designed right generated Average Cost/kWh 12 cents Average Cost/kWh 10-14 cents Biomass Small plants can This industry is just beginning be inefficient Fuel has low heat More small plants could create more jobs content and can contribute to global warming Average Cost/kWh 7-9 cents Hydrogen Expensive to produce н, Water and energy are produced by 2) combining hydrogen with oxygen Takes more energy Н. to produce hydrogen than energy that could be recovered Average Cost/kWh depends on other source of power; $4-$12 per kg Fusion Can use tritium and hydrogen as a fuel After 40 years of costly research, the break-even point has not been met; н source Has a higher energy output per unit mass than fission commercially available plants aren't expected for 35 years Low radiation levels associated with process Average Cost/kWh 10 cents Do YOU think that the world can be powered by wind, water, and sun alone? Sources: worldwatch.com, cleantechnica.com, planetsave.com, eia.gov, renewable-energy-sources.com, nei.org, nucleartourist.com 2. %24