Compare

Put two to four sources head to head across every measure at once. Each measure has its own scale — you can't weigh deaths and dollars on one axis — and each source keeps one colour throughout. The winner changes with the measure.

Deaths

per TWh
Coal
24.6
Gas
2.8
Nuclear
0.03
Solar
0.02

CO₂

g/kWh, lifecycle
Coal
820
Gas
490
Nuclear
12
Solar
48

Land

km²/TWh/yr
Coal
9
Gas
4
Nuclear
0.47
Solar
16

Cost

$/MWh, Lazard
Coal
$118
Gas
$78
Nuclear
$215
Solar
$46

Carbon cost

$/MWh at $190/t
Coal
$156
Gas
$93
Nuclear
$2
Solar
$9

Mortality cost

$/MWh at $14.1M
Coal
$347
Gas
$39
Nuclear
$0.42
Solar
$0.28

What drives each

Coal

Long-term particulate exposure across the public. Chronic effects account for roughly 88–99% of the total; acute accidents are the remainder.

Full source page →

Gas

Modeled combustion-pollution deaths dominate; accidents are a small share. Upstream methane leakage is a climate concern but not counted here as a death mechanism.

Full source page →

Nuclear

Modeled cancer projections under the linear no-threshold (LNT) model dominate, not acute accident deaths. LNT is contested, and dropping it would push the rate lower still.

Full source page →

Solar

Occupational accidents — installation falls above all — dominate. Manufacturing risk is a smaller modeled share.

Full source page →

Bars are each measure's central estimate, scaled within that card; hover a value for its low–high band. Carbon and mortality costs value CO₂ and deaths at the central published figures — see Value of a life and Methodology.