[kach22i]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I'm telling you, 50 years from now we'll mostly be running nuclear, and that generation will wonder why we wasted so much time with other distractions.

You could be right.

We cannot stay on our current path at any rate.

Food for thought.

2017-07-12
France could close 'up to 17' nuclear reactors by 2025
https://www.france24.com/en/20170710...nuclear-plants

Nicolas Hulot, France’s environment minister, announced on Monday that France could close “up to 17 nuclear reactors” by 2025.

Hulot says the move aims to bring policy into line with a law on renewable energy that aims to reduce French reliance on nuclear power to 50 percent. France currently derives close to 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. The push for diversification comes on the heels of other high-profile stances taken by Hulot and the administration of President Emmanuel Macron, including a ban on new fossil fuel exploration an end to the sale of gas and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040, and a recently announced climate conference to be held on December 12 for the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Paris Accord..............

Such a reduction in nuclear power generation would signal a large break with France’s traditional energy policy. France’s heavy investment in nuclear power dates back to the 1973 oil crisis, which fueled the French government’s desire for energy independence. With few natural resources – oil, gas or coal – on its territory, France’s policy-makers saw nuclear as the answer.................

As a result, French greenhouse gas emissions fell drastically from the late 1970s to today. In 2014, France averaged CO2 emissions of 4.32 tons per capita, below the EU average of 6.22 tons per person and well below the US average of 16.22 per person...................

.........France’s nuclear plants – built for a planned lifespan of 40 years – are ageing. The average plant is more than 30 years old, and 15 of France's 58 reactors are over 35. ..........

During the most recent presidential campaign, the Institut Montaigne, a liberal think tank based in Paris, released a report concluding that if a phase-out of nuclear power were initiated immediately in favour of wind and solar, it would cost €217 billion by 2035, including grid upgrades. Moreover, dismantling existing reactors once they reach the end of their lifespan, along with treating waste, is projected to cost some €85 billion.

The cost of pursuing a new generation of nuclear plants, however, would be even more significant............................

In 2016, France's Cour des comptes, a government body charged with overseeing public finances, estimated that prolonging the lifespan of the reactors would cost €100 billion. Add to that an estimate from EDF chief Jean-Bernard Lévy that 30 to 40 new plants would need to be constructed between 2030 and 2050 to replace the current fleet and the total bill for maintaining nuclear power would balloon to somewhere between €250 billion and €300 billion.

Nuclear is cheaper when the government subsidizes it, and the close out costs are not considered.

Fossil fuels are cheaper when ignoring damage to the environment and human health concerns set aside.

We know the answer, we just lack the will and perhaps some of the means.

14 minute long video from that last link:

Published on Jun 9, 2017
Nuclear energy: When France faces a new era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=4YgmCu7dfS4

The nuclear industry remain central to France. The country has 19 power plants and 58 reactors. Yet the vision for the sector's future continues to evolve. Around a third of French nuclear reactors will be 40 years old by 2020. Should they all be dismantled or renovated? Another priority is the treatment of nuclear waste. How can contamination be avoided? We end by meeting some residents whose future is closely linked to that of France's nuclear industry.