Re:Nuclear power is the fastest way to slash greenhouse gas ...
by kortilla on Sunday April 07, 2019 @01:19PM
(#19598285)
>The levelized cost of renewables is already cheaper than the equivalent for nuclear power,
Not if you want electricity when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. If renewables were competitive for providing constant load, nobody would be having this fucking conversation.
Re:Nuclear power is the fastest way to slash greenhouse gas ...
by DennisP on Sunday April 07, 2019 @06:10AM
(#19595890)
The levelized cost of renewables with enough battery storage to make reliable carbon-free power is higher than nuclear, except in areas where lots of hydro or geothermal is available.
Re:Nuclear power is the fastest way to slash greenhouse gas ...
by godelski on Tuesday April 09, 2019 @12:29AM
(#19611807)
Who says nuclear is carbon neutral? It definitely has a footprint. But so does solar, wind, and hydro. All 4 of which are extremely small though. The advantage nuclear has over the other two is that it can generate power 24/7, it can vary its output, and it has a small footprint on land usage per kilowatt-hour it produces.
AFAIK there are no high energy producers that are end-to-end carbon neutral (or negative). Doing so needs some type of sequestration.
Of course it wouldn't. Designing a carbon-neutral economy is a much bigger problem that requires much broader strategic thinking.
The levelized cost of renewables is already cheaper than the equivalent for nuclear power, with much smaller capital costs, much faster start-up and build costs, and no concerns about long-lived waste.
And the trend lines are clear.
There is simply no case for nuclear power now - economic, political, or environmental.