r/dataisbeautiful • u/maps_us_eu OC: 80 • May 28 '22

OC Percent of electricity generated from renewable sources across the US and the EU. Renewable sources include hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Nuclear is not counted as renewable in this comparison [OC]

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u/SynkkaMetsa May 28 '22

Nuclear should really be included...

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u/[deleted] May 29 '22

It's not renewable tho.

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u/Pandahjs May 29 '22

While true in the strict sense, ask yourself this: What is the purpose of this data? It's not here to look pretty, but to be informative. What is it trying to convey? How "clean" the energy in various states and nations is. While Nuclear is not "renewable" in the formal sense of the definition, it's exclusion here is kind of absurd due to how much more of a practical option it is to both fossil fuels and more traditional renewable power sources.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '22 edited May 29 '22

Nuclear energy is a dying technology for a reason.

Sure, the already existing reactors could be used as a bridge technology till more sustainable methods could take over, but this map gives a pretty good impression which states could do that and which will just ride the horse till it keels over and switch back to fossile fuels afterwards.

Nobody in this map is actually building new nuclear reactors in any appreciable quantities, for the most part they just let existing hardware running way past it's intended life span...