Splitting rock vs. splitting atoms: What shale gas means for nuclear power

摘要

The past decade has seen a sudden surge in shale gas production in the United States, and a dramatic drop innnatural gas prices. The shale gas boom has major implications for the future of nuclear power, the authornwrites. Projections for the cost of electricity suggest that natural gas will maintain an advantage over nuclearnpower for many years to come in the United States, and there is reason to believe that overseas markets couldneventually enjoy some of the benefits of the shale gas boom. Uncertainties about the size of shale resourcesnand the long-term productivity of new wells could affect the future price of natural gas in the United States butnare unlikely to make nuclear power competitive with gas, the author argues. However, public fears aboutnenvironmental contamination could drive up the cost of natural gas. The author urges companies and policynmakers to address these fears in ways that build public confidence. Stringent climate policy probably wouldnnot eliminate the cost advantage of natural gas over nuclear before 2030, he writes, but could tip the balancenafter that. The biggest question mark looming over natural gas in a carbon-constrained world is the prospect ofnapplying carbon-capture-and-sequestration technology to the resource