Wind Energy is cheaper than Nuclear Energy. Yes! Have a look at this article which compares the inflation adjusted 'levalized' costs for various energy generation technologies. The cost (in USD per MWh) includes the price for building and operating a power plant.
(Off-Shore) Wind Power - $97 (USD) / MWh.
Nuclear Power - $113.9 (USD) / MWh.
As you can see in that article, wind power is cheaper than most conventional and even unconventional sources of energy, except perhaps hydro power & natural gas. Also remember that the study was done in 2009 when the cost of wind power was higher than what it is now, and the cost of nuclear power has gone up substantially in the recent times.
Consider the other Advantages of Wind Energy Power Plants -
- Wind energy is a renewable/inexhaustible source of energy.
- There is no carbon emissions or any kind of pollution emitted by wind mills/wind power plants.
- There are no costs for raw materials/fuel to operate wind turbines. Wind is an abundant source freely available in nature.
- The operational costs for wind power plants are nothing, when compared to nuclear power plants.
- Wind energy generators/wind turbines are a mature technology and have stood the test of time.
- Wind energy can be harnessed both as large centralized power plants, and as smaller decentralized units, where the power requirements might be lower.
- When used as a decentralized power generation unit, the transmission/storage losses for wind energy are very minimum.
- Communities can harness wind power by themselves, without having to depend on huge investments from the government/other countries.
- There are micro wind turbines which compliment existing grid connectivity even in urban areas and for areas with smaller energy requirements. Individuals and house-owners can generate their own electricity! It's especially useful in remote-windy areas that are not connected to the grid.
- Wind, as a resource, is quite dependable and the average wind levels in most regions are consistent and predictable (on a monthly, yearly basis). Hence, the amount of power from wind power plants can be estimated quite accurately.
- Wind energy is often subsidized by the government.
- Wind power plants are built to withstand thunder storms and other natural calamities.
- The sites where wind power plants come up are mostly unused, inexpensive lands. They don't need to be located near a water source.
Now, Consider the Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Power Plants -
- Costs of setting up & running nuclear power plants are very high. The costs only go up, with every passing year.
- Nuclear power plants can be set up only in a centralized fashion for a large capacity. There will be heavy transmission losses.
- Nuclear power plants need to be set up near a water body with abundant water (required for cooling), like sea, river, etc.
- Nuclear power plants depend on fossil fuels (uranium). The supply of uranium (and its variants used in nuclear power plants) are limited and will get exhausted sometime in the future. Hence, their costs (which is already high) will keep going up in future.
- Uranium needs to be carefully extracted, transported and stored, as it is a radioactive element.
- There is always the danger of terrorist strikes or natural calamities affecting people in and around nuclear power plants.
- Nuclear waste is highly radioactive and it needs to be stored under the ground/oceans safely for many thousand years. The expenses incurred for nuclear waste storage, is also very high.
- There is considerable amount of opposition for nuclear power plants across the world.
- Developed countries like Germany and Japan are reducing the number of nuclear reactors quickly and converting to renewable energy technologies for their energy needs.
- Nuclear energy has even been compared to betamax of the energy world.
Do we really need this nuclear power? Why can't we stop with whatever nuclear power plants we already have (or are being commissioned), and focus on wind power for satisfying bulk of our future energy requirements?
