Nuclear Energy Economics Exam

Created on October 30, 2023

Energy Economics

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1. Approximately how much of the cost of electricity for a home is dedicated to balancing the grid (vs. generating electricity)?

A. 1/5

B. 1/4

C. 1/3

D. 2/3

E. 3/4

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2. Why are high voltage, direct current (HVDC) transmissions systems becoming popular again?

A. Lower costs for converting direct current to alternating current

B. Lower electrical transmission costs over distance

C. No need for transformers that can break down

D. All of the above

E. None of the above

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3. What areas of the world currently have complex, internationally integrated electrical transmission systems?

A. North America & Latin America

B. Europe & North America

C. East Asia & Europe

D. Africa & the Middle East

E. Latin America & East Asia

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4. Asia lacks electrical transmission connections between nations due to:

A. Economic reasons

B. Technical reasons

C. Political reasons

D. Cultural reasons

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5. Which energy sources are becoming cheaper and more popular?

A. Nuclear power

B. Natural gas

C. Renewable energy

D. Coal generation

E. A and B

F. B and C

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6. Over the few decades, the overnight costs of building a nuclear power plant have:

A. Declined

B. Remained steady

C. Increased

D. No data either way

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7. The _____ of electricity refers to the lifetime cost of a power plant divided by the total number of kilowatts produced by the plant in its lifetime.

A. Levelized cost

B. Overnight cost

C. Learning curve

D. Total cost

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8. Which types of energy receive subsidies in the US?

A. Renewable energy

B. Fossil fuels

C. Natural gas

D. Nuclear power

E. All of the above

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9. The "duck curve" refers to what?

A. The difference between the overnight costs and levelized costs of power plants

B. The electrical demand that remains after subtracting the amount of intermittent renewable energy being supplied to the grid

C. The decreasing cost of batteries

D. None of the above

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10. According to John Rower –the former CEO of the world’s largest nuclear merchant electrical utility, Exelon—Natural Gas:

A. Is the cleanest fossil fuel

B. Takes jobs away from Americans

C. Cost more to produce energy than coal

D. Makes the US dependent on offshore resources

E. Will only be viable in the future

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11. What reason does Chris Tomlinson give for nuclear power’s struggles?

A. U.S. protest movements

B. Environmental regulations

C. Too much focus on innovation

D. Uncompetitive costs of energy production

E. It is not struggling

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12. Which of the following are energy trends that Gavin Bade identified?

A. The growth of natural gas

B. Utilities are investing in energy storage capabilities

C. Coal power is declining

D. None of the above

E. All of the above

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13. What nuclear activities make money?

A. Production of medical isotopes

B. Building new nuclear reactors

C. Uranium enrichment

D. All of the above

E. A and C

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14. Small Modular Reactors:

A. Are all of roughly the same design

B. Are cheaper than normal reactors due to economies of scale

C. Are not a nuclear weapons proliferation risk

D. Will likely have lower initial expenditures than normal reactors

E. None of the above

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