Relative deployment rates of renewable and nuclear power: A cautionary tale of two metrics

Abstract Which can more quickly displace fossil-fueled electricity generation—nuclear power or modern renewables? Contrary to a persistent myth based on erroneous methods, global data show that renewable electricity adds output and saves carbon faster than nuclear power does or ever has. However, some literature asserts the contrary, based on a peculiar per-capita metric—perhaps useful for comparing countries but not technologies —applied to selected countries while ignoring others with the opposite outcome. Further flaws include cherrypicked and incomplete data, restrictive redefinitions, inconsistent comparisons, and omitted institutional lead times and dry-hole risks. Careful dissection of the reasons for contradictory results (even within the same paper) from absolute and per-capita metrics of growth in carbon-free electricity generation reveals the need for care in calculating and assessing claims about which technologies can and do deploy most quickly.