korrents

What David MacKay thinks about nuclear power

@david-mackay · 27 positions · 0 changes of mind

Physicist. Professor at the University of Cambridge from 1995 to his death in 2016, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change from 2009 to 2014. Wrote Sustainable Energy — without the hot air (2008), which he published free at withouthotair.com.

David MacKay did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

4 dated positions, 2008, in their own words. Our reading of what David MacKay has said — not written or endorsed by them.

4 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

  1. Our readingThe price of nuclear power is dominated by construction and decommissioning costs, not fuel costs.

    Their wordsnuclear power’s price is dominated by the cost of power-station construction and decommissioning, not by the cost of the fuel.

    ↗Sustainable Energy — without the hot airinference.org.uk 16th of 27 in this piece

    energy

    Interesting

  3. Our readingNuclear power is dangerous, but not uniquely so among energy sources like coal, oil, and wind.

    Their wordsNuclear power is not infinitely dangerous. It’s just dangerous, much as coal mines, petrol repositories, fossil-fuel burning and wind turbines are dangerous.

    ↗Sustainable Energy — without the hot airinference.org.uk 17th of 27 in this piece

    energy

    Interesting

  5. Our readingNuclear waste is only a minor worry compared with the other forms of waste being left to future generations.

    Their wordsI feel nuclear waste is only a minor worry, compared with all the other forms of waste we are inflicting on future generations.

    ↗Sustainable Energy — without the hot airinference.org.uk 18th of 27 in this piece

    Interesting

  7. Our readingEurope cannot meet its energy needs from renewables alone and will need nuclear power, solar power from deserts elsewhere, or both.

    Their wordsJust like Britain, Europe can’t live on its own renewables. So if the aim is to get off fossil fuels, Europe needs nuclear power, or solar power in other people’s deserts (as discussed on p179), or both.

    ↗Sustainable Energy — without the hot airinference.org.uk 23rd of 27 in this piece

    solarenergyEurope

    Interesting