Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing

Re:Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing by olau on Monday September 13, 2021 @10:28AM (#28511939)

I think Fukushima killed much of the remaining enthusiasm, but really it's the high cost of building new nuclear plants across Europe that's keeping it from being an option. If building a new plant was cheap, I'm sure you'd see a lot more happening.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing by fsflover on Monday September 13, 2021 @10:35AM (#28512036)

> it's the high cost of building new nuclear plants

https://whatisnuclear.com/economics.html

If markets valued the low-CO2 nature of nuclear, they’d be doing better

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing by stkdump on Monday September 13, 2021 @11:04AM (#28512387)

So would renewables, but even without that they are becoming the cheapest option.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing by Schlaefer on Monday September 13, 2021 @10:51AM (#28512224)

> If building a new plant was cheap, I'm sure you'd see a lot more happening.

Not only that, but running it. No private company insures a nuclear power plant (at least in the densely populated Central Europe). We're talking about dozens of billions each year.

Currently the operator does a token insurance of a few hundred million but if things really go south it's essentially up to the society to absorb the costs of the aftermath.

If you can't socialize the risks and have to pay market price the "cheap" goes out of the window fast.

[ Parent | on HN ]