Does that include disposal fees from spent fuel.
2007-10-25 14:48:51 · 6 answers · asked by christine2550@sbcglobal.net 2 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
The cost of production of nuclear power including the cost of disposal of spent fuel and decommissioning of the reactor when it is obsolete is approximately 3.8 cents per kilowatt hour in the United States(1)
Other responders have listed much higher prices, but they did not list sources of information, so I consider those numbers to be doubtful.
The source that Keith P cites is a good one also. It is correct that the fuel cost of a nuclear power plant is approximately one half cent per kilowatt hour.
However the very high capital cost of a nuclear reactor, the high cost of disposal of spent fuel and the high cost of decommissioning an obsolete nuclear reactor are what drive the cost per kilowatt hour up to 3.8 cents per kilowatt hour.
The big costs of a nuclear power plant are the very high capital cost to build it, the very high cost of disposal of spent fuel and the very high cost of decommissioning the plant at the end of its useful life.
The actual fuel costs are very low.
2007-10-25 18:59:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here 50% is generated by nuclear and the average generation cost is around 3.8 cents/KW-hr, probably up to 4.4 cents/KW-hr now. One of the cheapest prices in North America. That does include a surcharge for disposal. Nuclear is one of the most concentrated forms of energy we know of, and it produces 1/800th of the volume of waste produced by a coal fired plant.
2007-10-26 03:59:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
About 5.5 cents off peak and 17.5 cents on peak in Arizona in summer months (less in winter), which has worked out to 11 cents overall, including fixed charges that don't vary by consumption.
Since the local utility has to collect enough to pay disposal fees, that is undoubtedly included.
2007-10-25 15:15:05 · answer #3 · answered by BAL 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to my brother who worked for Southern California Edison until recently, power from the San Onofre nuclear power plant is by far the most expensive that utility buys. He didn't say the price though.
2007-10-25 16:19:00 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generating cost is about half a cent per kilowatt-hour. Decommissioning, waste disposal, and capital cost doubles that to about 1 cent per kilowatt-hour. This is about the same total cost as coal generation, but significantly lower than gas or oil generation.
2007-10-25 16:10:01 · answer #5 · answered by Keith P 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
More than coal. Probably about twice the cost. I don't think anyone is claiming that nuclear energy is cheap.
2007-10-25 14:56:00 · answer #6 · answered by Ben O 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋