US electrical generation - Where we are now

[phantom power]

Figure 8 is a little calculation I made, trying to figure out the cost of capacity on more of a comparable basis, adjusting for utilization.

In Figure 8, the nominal costs per 1,000 watts of capacity are my estimates regarding what the FERC amounts shown in Figure 7 are, underlying the graph amounts. The percentage of capacity is the average of the last four years of the actual percentage of summer capacity, from Figure 5 or 6. The adjusted cost of comparable capacity shown in the last two columns is simply the nominal capacity divided by the utilization.

One can argue whether these numbers are comparable, even after adjustment. For one thing, there are differences in the quality of electricity produced--whether it is available on demand, or not. There are also differences in how many years plants can be expected to operate, operating costs, and the cost of fuel.

On this basis, wind comes out comparable in cost to nuclear, but without the cost of nuclear fuel. Coal and natural gas seem to be quite a bit cheaper (neglecting the considerable cost of fuel). Geothermal seems to be especially cost effective when one considers the lack of fuel costs.

I have added a line for Solar PV, based on the indications of this study from Berkeley regarding the installed cost of solar PV. The numbers are so high that one wonders whether something is wrong with the calculation.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6935

"Figure 8"


"Figure 7"

[kristopher]

1. More data trimming from the nuclear fans...

“MOST LIKELY” SCENARIO
Projected Total Generation Cost/kWh of New Nuclear Power
(In Nominal Dollars in Projected 2018 First Year of Full Operation)
COST COMPONENT $/KWH
CAPITAL COST $0.22
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE W/O FUEL $0.01
PROPERTY TAXES $0.02
DECOMMISSIONING & WASTE COSTS RESERVE $0.02
FUEL CYCLE COSTS $0.03
TOTAL DOLLARS/KWH $0.30


Above is the "most likely" scenario from Severence's analysis of TOTAL cost of delivered electricity from nuclear.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x236298

[billlll]

2. ALL uranium back in the ground

Nuke power = nuclear war

Somewhere it will start

Pakistan

India

Iran

Israel

N Korea

ALL U. back in the ground.

[billlll]

3. PS Experts pls give us simple stat including gov subsidies to all types

And compare to cost now in

CENTS per KWH...six?

Also show municipalized 22% cheaper

[Dogmudgeon]

5. "Federal Financial Interventions and Subsidies in Energy Markets" (DoE/EIA)

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/index.html">Federal Financial Interventions and Subsidies in Energy Markets

Here's what you probably want, the table of subsidies and support in cost per unit of production:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/pdf/execsum.pdf">Summary -- see page 6, Table ES5. Subsidies and Support to Electricity Production: Alternative Measures

The EIA's results are in dollars per megawatt-hour. For cents per kilowatt-hour, divide by 1000.

This is a three-year-old report, but the trends from 1999 to 2007 have been sharply increased.

--d!

[NNadir]

4. Note that none of the dangerous fossil fuel projections include the costs of disposal

of dangerous fossil fuel waste for eternity.

For that matter, neither do the solar projections include disposal of dangerous solar waste for eternity.