Climate Changed
Nuclear Has to Use Climate Crisis to Justify High Cost, MIT Says
- Low emissions are reactors’ biggest advantage, study shows
- Landmark report says nuclear can’t compete on energy costs
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Nuclear energy can’t compete on cost with cheap natural gas or renewables and therefore needs the help of policy makers who are willing to promote its low-emission power generation as a way to fight climate change, according to a landmark new study.
To stave off runaway global warming by mid-century, the world’s current crop of leaders need to institute policies that dial down greenhouse gases emitted by power producers more than 90 percent, according to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The clearest way to get there may be by putting a price on carbon emissions and supporting clean technologies.