Thursday, August 19, 2010

Solar Power Is Cheaper Than Nuclear Power for the First Time

(actually in the long run, i've always KNOWN solar power was less expensive, especially when you consider all the "extras" of nuclear power. It's cool that penny for penny now just the cost to the consumer is beginning to shine)


Here’s bright spot in the news of the day: energy from new solar installations has, for the first time, become cheaper than energy from new nuclear plants, according to a new Duke University study. Thanks to cost-saving technologies and economies of scale, price can no longer be an excuse to invest in nuclear power rather than solar.

In North Carolina, nuclear energy costs 16 cents per kilowatt hour (the energy required to run 10 100-watt light bulbs for an hour), whereas solar is now going for 14 cents per kWh — a rate that continues to fall. In regions with more annual sunlight, the price gap is almost certainly even more pronounced. The data also analyzed only conventional photovoltaic power, not the concentrating technologies of troughs and reflectors, which also bring costs down.

The study was developed in response to aggressive lobbying by the nuclear industry, which has tried to position itself as the most affordable way to reduce carbon emissions. The study factors in governmental subsidies for both power sources, but found that even if all subsidies were removed, solar power would still be cheaper within a decade.



from The Energy Colective via inhabitat.

1 comment:

  1. Cost and emissions from current energies are both concerning, but natural habitat destruction is another and very important concern. Where do you suppose wildlife exists? In the wild; in rightfully enormous tracts of land that are now ordained as humanity's next 'green' energy- solar panel fields.
    Deserts are grossly misunderstand; extraordinary amounts of wildlife inhabit them, migratory birds, fox, tortoises, countless insects and plants... Miles and miles of fenced off land are guaranteed to adversely affect these little friends and their once habitats.

    Apparently my man Sting was wrong in thinking that One World is enough for all of us... Only enough world for humanity to consume and consume and consume... I should probably turn off my laptop.

    Cool blog, peace
    Robert

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