> adapts more quickly to changes in demand I was addressing the base load[1]. >> it's still vaporware for the base load. By definition, the base load does no

> adapts more quickly to changes in demand I was addressing the base load[1]. >> it's still vaporware for the base load. By definition, the base load does not change quickly. Obviously nuclear (and other slow-to-change generation methods) need to be supplemented with more adaptable methods for the load-following[2] and peaking[3] loads. > I think the main point is that new investments should go primarily towards wind and solar The market doesn't care where you want investment allocated. Power demand is going up dramatically over the next 50 years - which is very good[4] for world stability - and basic economics (and historical experience) says that demand will usually be filled by the cheapest supply. While they have high initial R&D cost, that can be nuclear if we allow for standardized mass production and existing modern designs to proceed (both of which are currently blocked by anti-nuclear fools). If we do nothing, coal (and other carbon-based sources) will remain the cheapest. Maybe in the future we can include solar/wind as cheaper, but for the main base load, they are currently subsided with natural gas (and other) backups. Solar/wind by itself is still vaporware. > they should be closing their coal plants first. Absolutely. If Germany had spent the money they've spent on coal replacement power generation on nuclear, they might have had completely zero carbon energy production several years ago. Instead, they are limping along one of the most hazardous generation methods because of idiotic radiophobia. > Uranium/Plutonium fission As usual, you are leaving out thorium, which is what we should have been using. > investments Given that my brother is working on new photovoltaic generation, I'd love to see a lot of investment for better renewables. The new epitaxy methods he invented for his PhD made InGaN heterojunctions that were 90% efficient in converting sunlight, which is outstanding if a mass production method can be created. Investment in basic research is always important. However, what matters right now is what we can currently make. Vaporware doesn't matter until it becomes an actual shipping product. If we wait for hypothetical methods, we allow more coal power to be built. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_load_power_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_load_power_plant [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_following_power_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_following_power_plant [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaking_power_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaking_power_plant [4] https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing_machine https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing...