Table 1: Comparison of land needed to generate 1440 MW
 
Generating units
required for 1440 MW
Source of Variation
Area Impacted
Nuclear reactor
1
None
300 acres
Wind onshore
2,400 to 5,500 2MW
turbines
Capacity Factor = 30% or 13%
8,500 to 18,500
acres
Wind offshore
1200 to 1920 3MW
turbines
Capacity Factor = 40% or 25%
74,000 to 119,000  
acres of water
Solar
NA
Capacity Factor = 13%;
Thermodynamic Efficiency = 10%
>70,000 acres
Biomass
NA
Crop yield (herbaceous or
woody) = 10 or 8 tons per hectare
1.7 to 2.2 million
acres
Tables 1 and 2 - Habitat Impacts and Their Costs
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Table 2: Cost of installations that will produce 1440 MW
 
Current
Construction Cost*
Expected
Working Life
(years)
Construction Cost
per Year
of Working Life
Need
compensation for
intermittency?**
Nuclear Reactor
$10 billion
60
$0.2 billion
No Intermittency
Wind onshore
$10 to $22 billion
25
$0.4 to $0.9 billion***
Yes
Wind offshore
$7 to $10 billion****
25
$0.3 to $0.4 billion***
Yes
Solar
$89 billion
25
$3.56 billion***
Yes
* Based on the Capacity Factors used in Table1.
** The cost of the necessary generators would depend on how far solar or wind power had "penetrated" the overall
market; the higher their share, the more compensation is required.
*** Replacement cost will probably be less than the original cost because some of the infrastructure will not have to be
replaced
**** Based on the 2002 cost of the Horns Rev installation in Denmark (Euro 1.69 million/MW) using 25% summer and 40%
annual average Capacity Factors (10).
NAVIGATION BAR: