Yes if you ignore all externalities the “economics” means that you can use Natural Gas “peaking” plants instead. But one of the main advantages of nuclear power is zero green-house gas emissions.
If fossil fuels were taxed appropriately, the economics of them wouldn’t be viable anymore. A modest tax of a $million USD per ton of CO2 would fix up that price discrepancy.
frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 hours ago
Most of this is being driven by renewables. Natural gas gets mentioned because its price has dropped due to fracking, but it’s not a strictly necessary part of this argument, either. Water/wind/solar solutions have undercut even the plummet in natural gas prices.
Nuclear has no place. Nobody is building it, and it’s not because regulators are blocking it. It’s also completely unnecessary.
BombOmOm@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
France built the fuck out of it, 71% of their power is nuclear. Works darn well.
In the US, the over-regulation makes it too expensive. Every plant is bespoke instead of mass produced, with exchangable parts, personell, and knowledge.