Nuclear is considered expensive because when doing discounted cashflow models, the "long term" is 20 years. Most operating today are much older than that, ergo: Their capital cost has been written down to zero. Imagine owning a plant that has been totally written off but which only needs to be taken off line every few years for refueling? How good is that!
What about decommissioning costs I hear you say. I don't know how it happens in fact but it is reasonable to give the owners a tax break similar to depreciation to be put aside [must always exist as a AAA asset on the books]. Before you scream TAX BREAK!!!! remember at ALL capital expenses and operating expenses are allowable deductions. Banks can put cash aside [non-taxed] against future bad debts. This would be exactly the same.
There are abandoned wind-farms already that have not been returned to nature. They just stand forgotten spinning silently killing birds still.
France and America which have a large percentage installed base of nuclear do not high cost power. The US is half ours.
