5 ms·

This has been discussed ad nauseam, we need 1) storage, 2) smarter grids (which we need anyways). Of course there will have to be investment but what better inv

This has been discussed ad nauseam, we need 1) storage, 2) smarter grids (which we need anyways). Of course there will have to be investment but what better investment could there be? We get 1) jobs, 2) cleaner air, 3) to keep living and have future generations able to live as well or better than we did.

dpark 9y ago
> This has been discussed ad nauseam Then why are you claiming that you do not understand it? Yes, there are potential mitigations but there are major engineering concerns with large scale storage. You say that we can scale solar today but the reality is we can't yet. Nuclear is sustainable energy that we can scale now without additional concerns about also scaling energy storage. That's why people are interested.
- beat 9y ago
  I think we'll be able to solve the storage-grid engineering problems and scale solar faster than we would be able to scale nuclear. Nuclear is expensive to build.
  - _Tev 9y ago
    Please compare it with how expensive energy storage is.
    - okreallywtf 9y ago
      I don't think storage is really the ideal long term solution either, storage is more short term and is more like a buffer I think. The ideal is having large interconnected grids with a great diversity of sources. We essentially have the technology right now, its just a matter of building the infrastructure which nobody is really willing to foot the bill for even though its needed for everyone.
- okreallywtf 9y ago
  But we can't really scale nuclear, not in any kind of reasonable time frame. Take this for example [1], billions of dollars and decades to finish. Nobody thinks there won't be a transition period where we have to use existing coal, natural gas and nuclear but in terms of what we should be investing in right now, sustainable should be the focus I think. I have no issue with new nuclear plants where it makes sense, but it doesn't seem economically like it is actually that great of a choice given how expensive they are and how long they take to build.
  - _Tev 9y ago
    You forgot the link
    - okreallywtf 9y ago
      My bad - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/climate/nuclear-power-project-canceled-in-south-carolina.html?_r=0 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/climate/nuclear-power-pro...

dpark 9y ago

> This has been discussed ad nauseam Then why are you claiming that you do not understand it? Yes, there are potential mitigations but there are major engineering concerns with large scale storage. You say that we can scale solar today but the reality is we can't yet. Nuclear is sustainable energy that we can scale now without additional concerns about also scaling energy storage. That's why people are interested.

beat 9y ago
I think we'll be able to solve the storage-grid engineering problems and scale solar faster than we would be able to scale nuclear. Nuclear is expensive to build.
- _Tev 9y ago
  Please compare it with how expensive energy storage is.
  - okreallywtf 9y ago
    I don't think storage is really the ideal long term solution either, storage is more short term and is more like a buffer I think. The ideal is having large interconnected grids with a great diversity of sources. We essentially have the technology right now, its just a matter of building the infrastructure which nobody is really willing to foot the bill for even though its needed for everyone.
okreallywtf 9y ago
But we can't really scale nuclear, not in any kind of reasonable time frame. Take this for example [1], billions of dollars and decades to finish. Nobody thinks there won't be a transition period where we have to use existing coal, natural gas and nuclear but in terms of what we should be investing in right now, sustainable should be the focus I think. I have no issue with new nuclear plants where it makes sense, but it doesn't seem economically like it is actually that great of a choice given how expensive they are and how long they take to build.
- _Tev 9y ago
  You forgot the link
  - okreallywtf 9y ago
    My bad - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/climate/nuclear-power-project-canceled-in-south-carolina.html?_r=0 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/climate/nuclear-power-pro...