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The "Self-Limiting" Future of Nuclear Power

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The DECEMBER 9, 2011 | No. 738 THE "SELF-LIMITING" FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER There are a very large number of studies all of which reach the similar conclusion: THE "SELF-LIMITING" FUTURE energy efficiency programs and renewable power technologies are better than OF NUCLEAR POWER 1 nuclear power plants. The fact that these studies come from a variety of sources, across the political spectrum, and from different disciplines, suggests that there 1. Why does nuclear power is a consensus among abroad base of independent, non-partisan experts that persist 1 nuclear power plants are a poor choice for producing electricity. So why, then, does nuclear power persist? Is it the superficially attractive narrative associated 2. Market Failure and with nuclear energy that conflates it with national progress and pride, alongside Externalities 3 an immensely powerful and effective lobby, a new generation that has either forgotten or never known why it failed previously, deeply rooted habits that favor 3. Subsidies and the giant power stations, and lazy reporting by a credulous press? Socialization of Risk 4 (738.6203) Benjamin K. Sovacool - In Nuclear power generators cannot be 4. Hubris and Technological a chapter of his new book 'Contesting mass-produced. They take much longer Fantasy 6 the Future of Nuclear Power –A Critical to build, and are therefore exposed to Global Assessment of Atomic Energy' escalating interest rates, inaccurate 4.b. Conclusion 9 Benjamin K. Sovacool argues that three demand forecasts, and unforeseen primary culprits exist: the true costs of labor conflicts. Their centralization End notes 9 nuclear energy are not borne by those requires costly and expansive transmis- benefiting from it, resulting in what sion and distribution systems. Modern economists call "market failure"; many nuclear reactors are prone to a dete- of the costs and risks involved with nu- riorating energy pay back ratio for the clear electricity are passed directly onto nuclear fuel cycle, produce hazardous ratepayers; and nuclear power has, and extremely long- lived waste, have since its inception, been associated large water requirements, and possess with complex notions of progress and a larger carbon footprint than energy modernity that make it seductive, despi- efficiency and every form of renewable te all of its intractable challenges. Taken electricity. together, these three culprits - market failure and externalities, the socializa- All is not lost, however. As this book tion of risk, and hubris and technologi- also shows, renewable power techno- cal fantasy - largely explain why nuclear logies reduce dependence on foreign power plants flourish. sources of uranium, and therefore cre- ate a more secure fuel supply chain that 1. Why does nuclear power persist minimizes exposure to economic and Benjamin Franklin once wrote that "the political changes abroad. Renewable great advantage of being a reasonable technologies decentralize electricity creature is that you can find a reason for supply, so that an accidental or inten- whatever you do." The nuclear power tional outage would affect a smaller industry possesses no shortage of argu- amount of capacity than an outage at a ments in favor of a nuclear renaissance, larger nuclear facility. Renewable energy many of them reasonable at first glance. technologies improve the reliability of Yet, the central premise of 'Contesting power generation by conserving or the Future of Nuclear Power' is that a producing power close to the end-user, global nuclear renaissance would bring and by minimizing the need to produce, immense technical, economic, envi- transport, and store hazardous and ra- ronmental, political, and social costs. dioactive fuel. Unlike generators relying 1 on uranium and recycled plutonium, renewable generator are not subject to the The simple fact that energy effici- volatility of global fuel markets. They can also respond more rapidly to supply and ency programs and renewable power demand fluctuations, improving the efficiency of the electricity market. Most sig- technologies are better than nuclear nificantly, renewable power technologies have enormous environmental benefits, power plants has not been advanced since their use tends to avoid air pollution and the dangers and risks of extracting by this book alone. Indeed, there are uranium. They generate electricity without releasing significant quantities of CO2 a very large number of studies all of and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change as well as life- which reach a similar conclusion. The endangering nitrogen oxides, sulfurdioxides, particulate matter, and mercury. They fact that these studies come from a also create power without relying on the extraction of uranium and its associated variety of sources (academic journals, digging, drilling, mining, leaching, transporting, storing, sequestering, and pol- magazines, and reports) across the luting of land. In the end, nuclear reactors and renewable power generators do the political spectrum (including business, b1088_Chapsameter-0 thing:8.qxd they 3/2 produce2/2011 electrical11:36 AM energy Page 2(kWh).46 Why rely on a nuclear system science, civil society, and medicine) that is subject to highlyb10 8uncertain8 Contesti nprojectionsg the Future o faboutNuclear uraniumPower availability, centrally and from different disciplines (physics, administered by technocratic elites, and vulnerable to the ebb and flow of interna- economics, epidemiology, and poli- tional politics (requiring garrison- like security measures at multiple points in the tics) suggests that there is a consen- supply chain), when superior alternatives exist? sus among abroad base of indepen- dent, nonpartisan experts that nuclear 246 Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power power plants are a poor choice for producing electricity . Table 1: Disadvantages of Modern Nuclear Power Plants So why, then, does nuclear power Dimension Category Explanation persist? One study supposed that it is the superficially attractive narrative Technical Safety and accidents Human error and technological failure have associated with nuclear energy that resulted in hundreds of incidents and accidents; conflates it with national progress and the impact of a serious accident, even if the pride, alongside an immensely power- probability is low, would be catastrophic ful and effective lobby, a new genera- Materials and labor A shortage of key components and skilled labor tion that has either forgotten or never could result in increased costs for nuclear power known why it failed previously, deeply plants and/or slow any transition to a nuclear rooted habits that favor giant power renaissance stations, and lazy reporting by a cre- Fuel availability and The energy intensity of the nuclear fuel cycle and dulous press.(*1) This chapter argues energy payback declining reserves of high-quality uranium result that three primary culprits exist: the in a low energy payback ratio, whereby plants true costs of nuclear energy are not must operate for decades before they produce borne by those benefiting from it, re- any net energy sulting in what economists call "mar- Economic Construction and Long construction lead times for new plants create ket failure"; many of the costs and risk operating costs substantial risk of cost overruns and create s involved with nuclear electricity are expected high future operating costs passed directly onto ratepayers; and Reprocessing costs Reprocessing of nuclear fuel costs billions of nuclear power has, since its inception, dollars and creates its own security risks related been associated with complex notions to the availability of plutonium of progress and modernity that make Waste storage costs Hundreds of millions of dollars each year must be it seductive, despite all of its intracta- spent on onsite storage, to say nothing of the ble challenges. Taken together, these gargantuan cost of building permanent geologic three culprits - market failure and repositories for spent fuel externalities, the socialization of risk , Decommissioning Decommissioning costs can sometimes be greater and hubris and technological fantasy costs than the costs of building a plant in the first place - largely explain why nuclear power Fuel costs Uranium reserves are consolidated among a small plants flourish. When these conditions number of countries, and dependence on foreign change (i.e. when the full costs of suppliers runs the risk of disruption and price nuclear energy become apparent or volatility can no longer be socialized, or when Security costs Nuclear facilities must be rigorously guarded and the allure of nuclear fission fades), the protected drive towards nuclear energy stalls. Research costs The next generation of nuclear reactors will require In short, if nuclear energy is to have billions of dollars in research funds and subsidies any future at all, it will be what Joseph Environmental Land use — Underground mining, open-pit mining, and Romm has called a "self-limiting" one. uranium mining in situ leaching of uranium create serious (*2) environmental hazards and can contaminate water supplies (Continued) CONTESTING THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER - A Critical Global Assessment of Atomic Energy © World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. http://www.worldscibooks.com/environsci/7895.html 2 NUCLEAR MONITOR 738 b1088_Chapter-08.qxd 3/22/2011 11:36 AM Page 247 b1088 Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power The “Self-Limiting” Future of Nuclear Power 247 Nuclear power plants have a plethora of Table 1: (Continued)
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