In 1983, physicist Bernard Cohen proposed that uranium is effectively inexhaustible, and could therefore be considered a renewable source of energy.^[90][91] He claims that fast breeder reactors, fueled by naturally-replenished uranium extracted from seawater, could supply energy at least as long as the sun's expected remaining lifespan of five billion years.^[90]

We thus conclude that all the world’s energy requirements for the remaining 5×10⁹ yr of existence of life on Earth could be provided by breeder reactors without the cost of electricity rising by as much as 1% due to fuel costs. This is consistent with the definition of a “renewable” energy source in the sense in which that term is generally used.

Nuclear energy has also been referred to as "renewable" by politicians like George W. Bush^[92][93][94] and David Sainsbury.^[95][96] In remarks at the 2007 Florida Summit on Global Climate Change, Florida Governor Charlie Crist mentioned nuclear as a renewable alongside biofuels, solar, and wind, due to its environmental effects and ability to reduce dependence on foreign oil.^[97][98][99]

Inclusion under the "renewable energy" classification could render nuclear power projects eligible for development aid under various jurisdictions. However, no legislative body has yet included nuclear energy under any legal definition of "renewable energy sources" for provision of development support (see: Renewable energy development). Similarly, statutory and scientific definitions of renewable energies usually exclude nuclear energy. In England and Wales there is a Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation, which provides support for renewable energy.^[100] Nuclear power production was also subsidised by this obligation from 1990 until 2002.

Commonly sourced definitions of renewable energy sources similarly treat solar-derived energy sources as effectively inexhaustible, though they usually omit or explicitly exclude nuclear energy sources as examples.^{[101][102][103][104]} Nuclear fission is generally not regarded as renewable, as indicated by the U.S. DOE on the website "What is Energy?"^{[105][106][107][108]}

References