Amory Lovins wrote the nuclear illusion which looks at the data from 2000 forward or 1990 forward but he claims a decades long (plural so at least two decades and Lovins has been claiming nuclear collapse since the 1970s) collapse of nuclear energy.
Since 1980, nuclear power TWH has increased by over 400%. So Amory Lovins is wrong about nuclear energy being a collapsing industry.
The charts that Lovins uses are only looking at 2000 forward or look at “new additions” when the bulk of nuclear power generation increases was from operating improvement and uprates to existing reactors.
The “micropower” is mostly diesel, biomass and natural gas of small and big sizes. Natural gas has 4 deaths per TWH (Externe source). So 2500 Twh (to displace nuclear power) would be 10,000 deaths per year. The diesel (oil) portion is 35 deaths per TWH. The biomass about 10 deaths per TWH (35,000 deaths per year if diesel was the main source). The blended rate of deaths per TWH from micropower is over 12 deaths per TWH. Far higher than the 0.65 deaths per TWH calculated by Externe for nuclear power. Even if the micropower deaths per TWH was cut in half for lower distribution losses the number is still far higher. Diesel and natural gas are not renewable. Over 75% of the power that Lovins is talking about is diesel, natural gas and biomass.
Deaths per TWH for all energy sources
Natural gas is not renewable. So is Lovins advocating an increase of more than double the US military deaths of the 5+ years of the Iraq war every year from more natural gas air pollution and other causes ?
All energy build costs went up with the increase in commodity prices (steel, concrete, oil)
There are wind turbine shortages and backorders for several years for the large efficient turbines.
Nuclear operating costs and efficiency are on continuing to the improvements that they have made for decades.
Laser uranium enrichment 3-10 times cheaper and more efficient.
Existing nuclear power plants are getting 20 year extensions and power uprates.
MIT/Westinghouse commercializing new 50% power uprates for annular fuel.
FURTHER READING
Further analysis of deaths per TWH
Nuclear power build in China and the rest of the world
Feed in tariffs subsidies for renewables
Energy costs with externalities
Staffing an expanding nuclear industry
constructing a lot of nuclear power is not supply constrained
Nuclear forging bottleneck is being addressed
New smaller and mass produced reactors will address the larger finance issues
Mass producable uranium hydride reactors
THE DEBATES ON NUCLEAR ILLUSION
David Bradish critique part 1 vs Nuclear illusion
David Bradish critique part 2 vs Nuclear illusion
David Bradish critique part 3 vs Nuclear illusion
David Bradish critique part 4 vs Nuclear illusion
Gristmill/Lovins rebuttal part 2
Amory Lovins supports “clean coal”
Amory Lovins fossil fuel apologist
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Comments are closed.