Re:Nuclear Power is Safest Way to Make Electricity
by jbri on Sunday April 03, 2011 @02:17AM
(#2401970)
Clean energy alternatives are not viable. And they won't be for a long time.
Wind and solar power are inherently unsuitable for providing base-load coverage - you need to have sufficient generating capacity spooled-up and available to cover any lulls in output. They can reduce the environmental impact of conventional generation, but they're useless on their own.
Nuclear power already produces 100x more than even the largest wind farm, because when you're working out how much base-load coverage you've got, you need to think about that wind farm at it's worst-case 0 MW output.
Re:Nuclear Power is Safest Way to Make Electricity
by lispm on Sunday April 03, 2011 @02:56AM
(#2402024)
Renewable already generate similar amounts compared to nuclear.
A single wind farm may have 0 MW output. But for a European grid of wind farms this is highly unlikely. Like 1% of the year. For that 1% we will have other energy sources pick up nicely.
Re:Nuclear Power is Safest Way to Make Electricity
by michaelchisari on Sunday April 03, 2011 @01:15AM
(#2401881)
I think you're seriously overestimating the current potential for solar photovoltaics and wind.
In my country we're building giant wind turbines that will generate twice as much energy as our nuclear plant.
I'm not saying we should ban nuclear power forever, but it shouldn't become the main source of energy either, at least not until we're researched it enough to be 100x safer than it is today, and when it will deliver 100x more energy than solar and wind can, through actual fusion or whatever. Until then, I don't see why we should blindly keep building them when there are perfectly viable clean energy alternatives out there already, or just slightly behind, and just need a little push capital wise to become more advanced.