Carbon pricing, often hailed as a means to support low-carbon technology innovation, will not be enough to spur the development of new nuclear projects or support existing nuclear projects, according to an editorial published last week by World Nuclear News. By placing a price on carbon, fossil fuels become more expensive to use, making nuclear and other alternative energies more attractive. At least, that’s the idea. “Carbon prices are likely to be too indirect, too late, too low, and too uncertain to provide real financial support for nuclear power projects,” according to Edward Kee, CEO of the Nuclear Economics Consulting Group.
Instead, the editorial suggests, nuclear projects need more direct support. “The nuclear power industry requires project-specific actions to provide the sufficient and certain revenue needed to keep existing nuclear power plants in operation and to support the development of new nuclear power plants,” Kee wrote.
