The actual cost of generating electricity by nuclear power is not published by EDF or the French government but is estimated to be between €59/MWh and €83/MWh
Does France also have a merit order “uniform pricing” system like Germany? Electricity prices are set by the most expensive producer, which is fossil by a large margin. This doesn’t reflect the actual cost of generating electricity at all, but favors the cheapest producer in the market.
Edit:
Germany at €0.36/kWh average retail rate (2026 H1), driven by high tax + grid fees layered on top of moderate wholesale prices.
The article you posted doesn’t say that it’s because of high electricity generation costs, but because of high taxes and grid fees. Don’t know if you wanted to make that point or just wanted to “actually” the OP, though.
It does not. No insurance company does cover nuclear reactors and running the long term storage is not priced in. So, the costs of a potential disaster and of dealing with the leftovers are kicked to whoever encounters that problem at some point.
If I ran a company like that, I could damn sure be cheaper than someone else too.
Yeah I don’t think insurance covers a Chernobyl size event, but that is increasingly unlikely to happen with modern reactors nowadays. We don’t build inherently dangerous reactors like the soviets did —nor have we ever.
The only large disaster in modern history is Fukushima in 2011 and to a lesser extent the three mile island incident in 1979. After each we’ve learned a lot and made important changes to plants worldwide to prevent it. But yes, there is a non-zero chance for a meltdown in current NPPs.
But it would take a natural disaster of epic proportions and I don’t think those are covered for any power plant, nuclear or not.
And new technology like molten salt reactors and thorium based fuels will increase safety even further.
Maybe, but wholesale prices are still more expensive in Germany. And sure, solar is cheaper in the summer, but companies need power in winter too. And on days with little wind as well. That’s when Germany fires up the gas plants —and now apparently coal— and that makes prices skyrocket in the winter.
So that is why the wholesale price of power over a whole year is cheaper in France.
Not to mention the fact that German power plants emit millions of tonnes of CO2 each year and France’s emit water Vapor.
Yeah, I already said that households pay higher prices than companies.
No, you said taxes are higher for households. The wholesale prices I showed are before taxes.
Are you saying that nuclear power is cheaper than other sources? really?
I’m not saying that. The analysis in the article tells us that France’s energy generation composition, which heavily relies on nuclear, is cheaper than Germany’s. You can read the article and find out for yourself.
Let me ask you a few questions in return:
Do you have any idea what gas prices are at the moment and how they’re influencing electricity prices?
Do you have any idea what the projected prices are in the coming year?
Do you understand why Germany is firing up the coal plants?
Have you factored in what the consequences of all those extra greenhouse gas emissions will cost us in the long term?
Well, yes actually
<https://euenergy.live/articles/average-electricity-bill-europe>
Does France also have a
merit order“uniform pricing” system like Germany? Electricity prices are set by the most expensive producer, which is fossil by a large margin. This doesn’t reflect the actual cost of generating electricity at all, but favors the cheapest producer in the market.Edit:
The article you posted doesn’t say that it’s because of high electricity generation costs, but because of high taxes and grid fees. Don’t know if you wanted to make that point or just wanted to “actually” the OP, though.
No… that is on top of the wholesale price that I listed.
It says so in your own quote.
Oh, that’s cheap, nice. Does that include liability insurance and running costs for the nuclear waste repository for the next few hundred years?
next few hundred years??? i have some bad news for you…
Probably, since that is the price.
Energy taxes are higher in Germany too.
I don’t know why you deleted your other comment, but the answer is: it’s a state owned company, so these are communicating vessels.
That’s not just an EDF problem though. The entire French economy is slumping and France has the largest debt of any EU country.
deleted by creator
It does not. No insurance company does cover nuclear reactors and running the long term storage is not priced in. So, the costs of a potential disaster and of dealing with the leftovers are kicked to whoever encounters that problem at some point.
If I ran a company like that, I could damn sure be cheaper than someone else too.
I’m beginning to think you’re varying expertise is in bullshit and lies
Uhm… what? Of course they do.
Seems like you’re just making things up now because you don’t like to be wrong. Please stop arguing in bad faith, it’s not a good look.
Last I’ve read was that the insurance only covers up to 1.5 billion € in damages. That would only cover small incidents
Yeah I don’t think insurance covers a Chernobyl size event, but that is increasingly unlikely to happen with modern reactors nowadays. We don’t build inherently dangerous reactors like the soviets did —nor have we ever.
The only large disaster in modern history is Fukushima in 2011 and to a lesser extent the three mile island incident in 1979. After each we’ve learned a lot and made important changes to plants worldwide to prevent it. But yes, there is a non-zero chance for a meltdown in current NPPs.
But it would take a natural disaster of epic proportions and I don’t think those are covered for any power plant, nuclear or not.
And new technology like molten salt reactors and thorium based fuels will increase safety even further.
For households, yes.
Not for companies - they profit far more from the cheap renewables.
Especially companies which need a lot of electricity.
Maybe, but wholesale prices are still more expensive in Germany. And sure, solar is cheaper in the summer, but companies need power in winter too. And on days with little wind as well. That’s when Germany fires up the gas plants —and now apparently coal— and that makes prices skyrocket in the winter.
So that is why the wholesale price of power over a whole year is cheaper in France.
Not to mention the fact that German power plants emit millions of tonnes of CO2 each year and France’s emit water Vapor.
Yeah, I already said that households pay higher prices than companies.
And: Are you saying that nuclear power is cheaper than other sources? really?
Sorry, I guess that was too many hard questions at once. Maybe answer just one?
No, you said taxes are higher for households. The wholesale prices I showed are before taxes.
I’m not saying that. The analysis in the article tells us that France’s energy generation composition, which heavily relies on nuclear, is cheaper than Germany’s. You can read the article and find out for yourself.
Let me ask you a few questions in return: