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Energy Source Cost Comparisons
Estimated Cost of Electricity from New Plants, 1983,
with Projections for 1990 (1982 dollars):1
| Energy Source |
1983
(cents per kilowatt-hour) |
1990 |
| Nuclear Power |
10-12 |
14-16 |
| Coal |
5-7 |
7-9 |
| Small Hydropower |
8-10 |
10-12 |
| Cogeneration |
4-6 |
4-5 |
| Biomass |
8-15 |
7-10 |
| Wind |
12-20 |
6-10 |
| Photovoltaics |
50-100 |
10-20 |
| Energy Efficiency |
1-2 |
3-5 |
Electricity Generating Costs:2
| Energy Source |
1983
(cents per kilowatt-hour) |
1984 |
1985 |
| Nuclear |
3.5 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
| Coal |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
| Oil |
6.4 |
7.4 |
7.3 |
Projected Progress in Reducing Production Costs of Renewables:3
1 Flavin, Nuclear Power: The Market Test, op. cit., p. 59.
2 Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc., "AIF Economic Survey," September 1986.
3 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Security: A Report to the President of the United States, op. cit., p. 208