Nuclear energy can reduce industries' carbon emissions so you don't pay the price.
Carbon Costs
Federal, state and local restrictions on the emission of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide emissions, have increased. There is already legislation proposing different tax structures on those industries with carbon-emitting processes. Many governments — from counties to countries — are looking at placing a cost, or tax, for each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted by industry. The responsible company could pay upwards of $30 per metric ton. 1
Various fossil fuel-based technologies dominate the world's electricity production and have carbon emissions associated with that energy production. Because of potential carbon taxes, commercial facilities emitting carbon dioxide will likely see the costs associated with the production continue to rise. However, a facility using nuclear process heat will not have the carbon dioxide emission or those costs associated with production.
Industries paying an emission tax will see an impact on the bottom line, and you may feel the pressure from those charges at the pump or in the checkout line. The application of a carbon cost could make nuclear electricity more economical in the long run.
- According to Wikipedia, the calculation of a carbon tax could look like this:
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"To convert a tax on CO2 to a tax on carbon, multiply by 44/12 = 3.6667, so that a $100 tax per ton of CO2 is equal to a tax of about $367 per ton of carbon. To convert a tax on carbon into a tax on CO2, multiply by 12/44 = .273, so that $100 tax per ton of carbon is equal to a tax of about $27 per ton of CO2. A ton is 2,000 pounds, so (for example) a tax of $100 per ton of CO2 is equal to a tax of $0.05 per pound of CO2.
On average, vehicle emissions contain about 20 pounds of CO2 per gallon of fuel. With fuel prices between $2.50 and $5.00 per gallon, a tax of $100 per ton of CO2 would raise fuel prices by 20 to 40 percent.