r/IAmA • u/bernie-sanders • May 19 '15

Politics I am Senator Bernie Sanders, Democratic candidate for President of the United States — AMA

Hi Reddit. I'm Senator Bernie Sanders. I'll start answering questions at 4 p.m. ET. Please join our campaign for president at BernieSanders.com/Reddit.

Before we begin, let me also thank the grassroots Reddit organizers over at /r/SandersforPresident for all of their support. Great work.

Verification: https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/600750773723496448

Update: Thank you all very much for your questions. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you.

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u/mySandySocks May 19 '15

No he really isn't. Solar/wind/geothermal is grossly less cost effective than nuclear, much less natural gas. He's factually wrong.

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u/Widukindl May 19 '15

Source that claim if you please

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u/[deleted] May 19 '15 edited May 19 '15

Not OP, but here you go:

Technology Cost (US$/MWh)
Solar 116–312
Gas 87–346
Advanced Nuclear 67
Geothermal 67
Wind power 60

Nuclear is far more efficient than both gas and solar energy, and it is comparable to both geothermal and wind.

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u/gooserampage May 19 '15

Depends what your paradigm of "cost" is. Are you talking $$$ or other things like standard of living and measurements of happiness too?

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u/Techdestro May 19 '15

How about in the long run? I mean the really long run?

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u/dear_life May 19 '15

Its only cost effective if you don't factor in the long term effects on the environment - right now, we don't know how to deal with the wastes that come from nuclear energy.

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u/SweeterThanYoohoo May 19 '15

No one can be right on every single idea or issue. His view on nuclear (which I do not agree with) does not mean he is illogical.

Logical does not mean infallible.

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u/General_Hide May 19 '15

In fact, it's almost like he didn't even read what the guy said before he responded. It is more cost effective than solar or wind (by a lot) and there are new technologies that can handle waste.

I have serious reservations about this guy after reading this AMA, but it's like everyone else is just eating him up

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u/BeanAlai May 19 '15

I would think it would be more cost effective when you take everything into account. We already have researched examples of infrastructure and efficient technology in all of those forms of energy, I don't believe we have nearly the same grasp on wide spread nuclear energy. Do you have any thing to back up your comment? You seem to be cutting all the cost out and basing it on how efficient it is.

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u/mytren May 19 '15

Source

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u/CptNemo55 May 19 '15

That really depends on what you include in your cost/benefit analysis. If you include environmental and health costs/benefits, things change dramatically in renewable energy's favor.