The real cost of nuclear energy

We’ve all heard about the tragic events in Japan in the last weeks. First of all, I would like to express my grief and also encourage anyone to try to help the people affected by the events.

The events in Japan have brought on heavy discussions about the ethics of nuclear energy and what threats it supposes. It is not the first time that incidents like these happen, everyone remembers Chernobyl well enough.

Clearly, the nuclear energy market has gone down heavily these days. After the first incident with the nuclear station at Fukushima the shares related to any nuclear energy has experienced steep losses. In response to these events, a  rise of stocks for renewable, clean energy has also been seen. 

So, what is clear is that many people are not prepared to accept the risk of this "relatively" cheap energy.

Unrest in Egipt, unrest in the oil price

In the last weeks we have seen many disruptions and anti-government protests in Egypt. This has had many consequences on the world's economy. However, I feel it is important to point out that it would be frivolous  to go about this topic looking only at the economic impact.

The events occurring in Egypt at the moment are of a huge political and social impact. It is, in my opinion, highly remarkable how the use of the internet and social networks has aided in these disruptions in the government policies and has gathered people to fight for their freadom.

Going back to the economic part of this conflict, we can see its effect  mainly on the oil prices. The oil price has risen twice above $100, hitting a two-year high. The slowing down of the transport on the Suez Canal and the risk of this even closing are of an immense importance to the economy and our everyday lives. Every day, about 2.5 million barrels of oil pass through the Canal, and the fear about this has caused a downturn in the oil market.

On a more local aspect, the Egyptian stock market went down 10 % - the largest one-day drop in some years. Some rating agencies have also downgraded Egypt, showing again the fear that is raised by these disruptions in the economy.

The sun share

Right now First Solar is the hottest alternative energy company in the world and according to an article by Steve Gelsi of MarketWatch, First Solar is getting close to the point of providing an alternate source of electricity at the same cost as conventional electricity without the use of governmental subsidies. This is due to their proprietary thin film semiconductor technology that enables First Solar to attain the lowest manufacturing costs in the industry. In 2006 First Solar engaged in an initial public offering raising $302.7 million in net proceeds. Those who were fortunate to invest in the initial public offering have been “sunkissed” as their investment has skyrocketed from $20 to over $200: a more than tenfold increase.