Why are wind and solar being deployed faster than nuclear? [View all]
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
= new reply since forum marked as read