Renewable energies: safest investment for the future!

Renewable energies: safest investment for the future!

A current study by the Institute for Global Sustainability at the University of Boston illuminates the economy and security of various energy projects. Ten types of projects, including fossil power plants, nuclear reactors as well as wind and PV large parks, were analyzed. Surprisingly, the study came to the conclusion that wind and solar power projects not only offer advantages for the climate and energy safety, but also have lower building risks and fewer delays. The average cost of all examined projects was 40 percent above the original estimates, and the average delay was almost two years. In contrast, nuclear power plants are known for their economic problems, which questions their competitiveness reports Oekonews.at . In view of the recent three nuclear power plants in Germany in April 2023, the discussion about the role of nuclear energy in an environmentally friendly energy system becomes more intensive. Many arguments focus on the possibility that atomic energy could serve as a balancing force within a system with a high proportion of renewable energies. However, an in-depth economic analysis of nuclear power plants, published by Scientists for Future, shows that the high investment and operating costs can exceed the generation costs. The electricity costs from nuclear power plants, especially with high occupancy, are more expensive than the average costs from renewable energies info-de.scientists4future.org .

The challenges of nuclear power

A central result of the analysis is that the costs of nuclear power plants in the competition with the inexpensive regenerative generation of electricity are not competitive. The need for basic performance is reduced with the continuous expansion of renewable energies. Against this background, the changing operating times of new nuclear power plants that systematically lose weight, which leads to a continuous increase in costs per kWh. This tendency is underlined in a further analysis on the economy of nuclear energy compared to renewable energies, which also takes into account the long-term costs Diskr. .

The costs for the construction of nuclear power plants are proven to be many times higher than for wind and solar systems, whereby the construction costs are up to four times higher in some cases. In Europe, the nuclear industry benefits from considerable state subsidies that were around 25 billion euros between 2007 and 2019. Economic considerations must also include external environmental costs, insurance costs and dismantling and disposal costs. Studies show that the long-term costs of renewable energies are significantly more advantageous, while the costs for nuclear energy increase with increasing proportion of renewable energies discursdisko.de .

Overall, the current discussion summarizes that a choice between nuclear power and renewable energies depends not only on economic aspects, but also on ecological and political factors. While nuclear power can offer constant energy generation, the initial investments and disposal risks are significant obstacles. With the aim of covering 80 percent by 2030 and until 2035 even 100 percent of the total electrical requirement in Germany out of renewable electricity generation, the nuclear power is increasingly moving into the background info-de.scientists4future.org .