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>In the mean time coal power plants kill more people than Chernobyl disaster every year. In the mean time, solar/wind is just as cheap to build as coal whereas
by crdoconnor 10y ago
>In the mean time coal power plants kill more people than Chernobyl disaster every year.
In the mean time, solar/wind is just as cheap to build as coal whereas nuclear (when built safely) costs more.
Nuclear also benefits from government subsidized insurance (the nuclear liability cap).
- ucaetano 10y agoBut you can't use solar/wind as base load. At least not yet.
- crdoconnor 10y agohttps://theconversation.com/baseload-power-is-a-myth-even-intermittent-renewables-will-work-13210 https://theconversation.com/baseload-power-is-a-myth-even-in... The old myth was based on the incorrect assumption that base-load demand can only be supplied by base-load power stations; for example, coal in Australia and nuclear in France. However, the mix of renewable energy technologies in our computer model, which has no base-load power stations, easily supplies base-load demand. Our optimal mix comprises wind 50-60%; solar PV 15-20%; concentrated solar thermal with 15 hours of thermal storage 15-20%; and the small remainder supplied by existing hydro and gas turbines burning renewable gases or liquids. (Contrary to some claims, concentrated solar with thermal storage does not behave as base-load in winter; however, that doesn’t matter.)
- ucaetano 10y agoThe article talks about renewables in general, not just the current wind and solar technologies widely available in the market. Hydro can easily be used as base-load, as it is in Brazil and Switzerland.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]