True Cost of Nuclear Power The book discusses the cost of nuclear power plants, and why the rates for nuclear power are higher than from coal plants....

True Cost of Nuclear PowerThe book discusses the cost of nuclear power plants, and why the rates for nuclear power are higher than from coal plants. For example, one of the main reasons for the difference is the construction costs, which rose from $190 to $2,800 per kilowatt hour from 1985 to 1989, mostly due to changes in mechanical and electrical construction requirements to make the plants safer after the Three Mile Island accident. As of the early 1990s, the cost per kilowatt hour of electricity from a coal plant was about 3 cents compared to a little over 5 cents from a nuclear plant. In an effort to bring the costs down to make the plants more competitive, studies are being conducted to design “evolutionary reactors” that will incorporate changes learned over the years, allowing for new nuclear reactors that can produce power for about 3.8 to 4 cents per kilowatt hour, including decommissioning costs.However, another issue that should be taken into consideration when discussing power production is the “true costs” which would include externalities. When comparing coal and nuclear, this idea includes considering environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, particulates, the mining of the fuel for both coal and nuclear, and the release of radioactivity.Consider giving economic value to environmental impacts and discuss which type of power generation you feel is more affordable in terms of “true cost,” taking both economic and environmental considerations into account