6 ms·

I saw the data. They have replaced coal plants with gas plants. Mostly imported gas. Why do Europeans hate the idea of safe nuclear plants though? https://embe

by nomdep 6mo ago

I saw the data. They have replaced coal plants with gas plants. Mostly imported gas. Why do Europeans hate the idea of safe nuclear plants though? https://ember-energy.org/data/electricity-data-explorer/?chart=single_year&entity=Ireland https://ember-energy.org/data/electricity-data-explorer/?cha...

dyauspitr 6mo ago
30 years of anti nuclear propaganda. They should all be like France, what a dream to have almost all of your electricity coming from a stable, essentially perpetual source.
amai 6mo ago
Because there is no place for nuclear waste in Europe? Especially not on smaller islands like Ireland. Why do Americans hate the idea of cheap renewable energy?
elAhmo 6mo ago
Nuclear has bad branding.
runarberg 6mo ago
I think it is unfair to specify safe here, as probably all nuclear powerplants are considered safe until they are not, including Fukushima. But plenty of European countries are either building or planing nuclear new nuclear power reactors, and Finland just opened a new reactor in 2023. But the simple matter is thought that the economics of nuclear power simply are not delivering. They are expensive and slow to build, while at the same time wind (particularly off shore wind) and solar are getting cheaper and easier to build every year (or month even). Germany also stands out as a success story of nuclear phase-out, that by replacing these expensive to run nuclear power plant has offered the economic wiggle room to phase in renewables a lot faster then otherwise.
pollorollo 6mo ago
While nuclear was cost competitive a decade ago, it turns out that is no longer the case [0]. As of 2025, the cheapest levelized cost of energy is solar ($58), onshore wind ($61), and gas combined ($78). Although the data is US-based, European prices likely follow a similar pattern. [0] https://www.lazard.com/media/5tlbhyla/lazards-lcoeplus-june-2025-_vf.pdf?page=14 https://www.lazard.com/media/5tlbhyla/lazards-lcoeplus-june-...
mnau 6mo ago
Compare costs, monetary risk and TTM to renewables with battery backup. Nuclear is dead as a doornail. Look at the nuclear buildup. Vogtle in US 10 years. Hinckley Point C is estimated to be 13 years. Flamanville 3 took 17 years. All these years you put money in and get nothing out. It's a disaster for balance sheet. Instead, you can build renewables plus batteries and have it connected within a year, generating revenue.

by nomdep 6mo ago

dyauspitr 6mo ago

30 years of anti nuclear propaganda. They should all be like France, what a dream to have almost all of your electricity coming from a stable, essentially perpetual source.

amai 6mo ago

Because there is no place for nuclear waste in Europe? Especially not on smaller islands like Ireland. Why do Americans hate the idea of cheap renewable energy?

elAhmo 6mo ago

Nuclear has bad branding.

runarberg 6mo ago

I think it is unfair to specify safe here, as probably all nuclear powerplants are considered safe until they are not, including Fukushima. But plenty of European countries are either building or planing nuclear new nuclear power reactors, and Finland just opened a new reactor in 2023. But the simple matter is thought that the economics of nuclear power simply are not delivering. They are expensive and slow to build, while at the same time wind (particularly off shore wind) and solar are getting cheaper and easier to build every year (or month even). Germany also stands out as a success story of nuclear phase-out, that by replacing these expensive to run nuclear power plant has offered the economic wiggle room to phase in renewables a lot faster then otherwise.

pollorollo 6mo ago

While nuclear was cost competitive a decade ago, it turns out that is no longer the case [0]. As of 2025, the cheapest levelized cost of energy is solar ($58), onshore wind ($61), and gas combined ($78). Although the data is US-based, European prices likely follow a similar pattern. [0] https://www.lazard.com/media/5tlbhyla/lazards-lcoeplus-june-2025-_vf.pdf?page=14 https://www.lazard.com/media/5tlbhyla/lazards-lcoeplus-june-...

mnau 6mo ago

Compare costs, monetary risk and TTM to renewables with battery backup. Nuclear is dead as a doornail. Look at the nuclear buildup. Vogtle in US 10 years. Hinckley Point C is estimated to be 13 years. Flamanville 3 took 17 years. All these years you put money in and get nothing out. It's a disaster for balance sheet. Instead, you can build renewables plus batteries and have it connected within a year, generating revenue.