Why is nuclear energy use is in decline? (2023)

Why is nuclear energy use is in decline?

Over the past decade, nuclear power plants across the country have been shutting down early in favor of cheaper natural gas power. Now, an influx of investment from the government and the private sector is changing the trajectory of the aging U.S. nuclear fleet and spurring development of new nuclear technology.

Nuclear energy is too expensive

According to a November 2021 study released by Greenpeace France and the Rousseau Institute, power from the under-construction European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) at Flamanville in France would be 3 times as expensive as the country's most competitive renewable sources.

Nuclear takes 5 to 17 years longer between planning and operation and produces on average 23 times the emissions per unit electricity generated. In addition, it creates risk and cost associated with weapons proliferation, meltdown, mining lung cancer, and waste risks.

Yet, we expect nuclear power generation in Europe and the U.S. to decline. By 2035, the share of nuclear generation in the EU and the U.S. is expected to reduce to 15% from close to 20%, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Global energy consumption rebounded with a 5% growth in 2021, after a 4.5% decline in 2020, in a context of global pandemic. This rebound is 3 points above the 2%/year average over the 2000-2019 period. In value, the 2021 global energy consumption stands above the 2019 levels.

Nuclear energy protects air quality

Nuclear is a zero-emission clean energy source. It generates power through fission, which is the process of splitting uranium atoms to produce energy.

The limited supply of fuel, potential for radioactive accidents, and waste that lasts for tens of thousands of years make nuclear energy unsustainable.

How much more efficient? Nuclear fission is nearly 8,000 times more efficient at producing energy than traditional fossil fuels. That's a considerable amount of energy density. Because nuclear energy is more efficient, it requires less fuel to power the plant and therefore creates less waste as well.

At high doses, ionizing radiation can cause immediate damage to a person's body, including, at very high doses, radiation sickness and death. At lower doses, ionizing radiation can cause health effects such as cardiovascular disease and cataracts, as well as cancer.

The main disadvantages of nuclear energy include its environmental impact, it is extremely water-intensive, there is a risk of nuclear accidents, management of radioactive waste is problematic, and it is non-renewable.

What would happen without nuclear energy?

Without nuclear energy, the power it generated would have been supplied by fossil fuels, which would have increased carbon emissions and resulted in air pollution that could have caused millions more deaths each year.

Nuclear power in 2020

Despite the increase in operational capacity over the course of the year, global nuclear power in 2021 remains slightly below the 2019 level. Across advanced economies, nuclear power increases slightly in 2021, with output remaining 6% below 2019 levels.

Nuclear power plants are massive investments. Not only do they cost over $10 billion, they often take between eight and 12 years to build. That's without factoring in delays and budget overruns, which are common.

Although nuclear power is not a renewable energy, it is still recyclable. Thanks to Orano's technologies, unique in the world on an industrial scale, 96% of spent nuclear fuel in reactors is recyclable. MOX, an assembly produced from recycled spent fuel, has already been used to supply 44 reactors around the world.

The environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include air pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal. The emission of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of urban air pollution.

The world faces two energy problems: most of our energy production still produces greenhouse gas emissions, and hundreds of millions lack access to energy entirely.

Nuclear fuel will last us for 4 billion years.

Does Nuclear Energy Cause Air Pollution? No. In fact, nuclear protects our air quality as a form of zero-emission clean energy. That's because nuclear fission generates electricity without the harmful byproducts that coal, oil and natural gas emit.

Nuclear power plants are expensive to build but relatively cheap to run. In many places, nuclear energy is competitive with fossil fuels as a means of electricity generation. Waste disposal and decommissioning costs are usually fully included in the operating costs.

Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life-cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar.

What are 5 facts about nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy has advantages over renewables in terms of reliability, GHG emissions, land use and waste. Nuclear is far more reliable (dispatchable) than renewables like wind and solar. Nuclear plants keep churning out energy even when the wind is not blowing, and the sun is not shining.

Nuclear energy produces electricity that can be used to power homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals.

The evidence over six decades shows that nuclear power is a safe means of generating electricity. The risk of accidents in nuclear power plants is low and declining. The consequences of an accident or terrorist attack are minimal compared with other commonly accepted risks.

Many people are scared of nuclear energy because of events like Three Mile Island, Fukushima, and most famously, Chernobyl. The death toll of these three accidents is smaller than the amount of Americans who die every year from smoking.