Is there a high cost to the consumer using nuclear energy?
On One Hand: Nuclear Power is Relatively CheapThe cost of nuclear power is not clearly known, but proponents claim that current production compares favorably with other power production methods. A study published on the World Nuclear website cites a cost per kilowatt hour in the United States of $3.01 for nuclear, $2.71 for coal and $4.67 for gas, all before considering the cost of carbon emissions.The problem with evaluating these numbers is the social cost as opposed to the actual cost of production.On the Other: Nuclear Power Is Unsafe and Plants Cost Too MuchSocial costs include the cost of carbon emission remediation. Other unknowns about nuclear power relate to the cost to construct new plants, now estimated at $6 to $9 billion each, the time to construct new facilities based on political and social resistance and the cost of storing nuclear waste for up to 10,000 years, which is ostensibly calculated into the cost of generation, although no permanent storage solution has been fo
