Wind and solar electricity generation costs about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, while nuclear costs range from 14 to 50 cents per kilowatt-hour.
EnvironmentEuropean Union
- Omissions
- The claim presents only the low-end cost for wind and solar (~4 cents/kWh) without acknowledging that the full LCOE range extends significantly higher: according to the Fraunhofer ISE 2024 study, onshore wind in Germany ranges from 4.3 to 9.2 €cents/kWh and utility-scale PV from 4.1 to 9.2 €cents/kWh. Offshore wind and rooftop solar are substantially more expensive.
- The claim does not specify whether costs refer to LCOE (levelized cost of electricity), wholesale market prices, or end-consumer prices. The data found refers to LCOE, which is the standard metric for comparing generation technologies.
- The nuclear cost range of 14 to 50 cents/kWh could not be independently verified for the European context. The World Nuclear Association's economic analysis discusses only fuel costs (0.5–0.62 US cents/kWh), which represents a fraction of total LCOE. No primary or secondary source was found confirming the 14–50 cent range for nuclear in Europe.
- The IEA data (onshore wind at USD 0.034/kWh) and IRENA data (solar PV at USD 44/MWh) are global weighted averages, not EU-specific figures. European costs may differ due to local conditions.
- The comparison is asymmetric: the speaker uses the lowest-cost benchmark for wind/solar while presenting nuclear across its widest possible cost spectrum, creating a misleading impression of relative competitiveness.