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I'm sure you're aware that nuclear heat and electricity could be stored and/or distributed just like renewable stuff in the vast energy storage system of the fu

• pfdietz 7y ago
  There is no point charging batteries with expensive nuclear energy when cheap renewable energy can be used. And the operator of a battery can shift when they are charged, making nuclear even less likely to be the cheapest source available at any time. So this doesn't save nuclear. Heat is difficult to transport any great distance, and the reactors we have today produce only moderate grade heat, which isn't very valuable. And if PV becomes a bit cheaper, then the cost per joule of its power will become comparable to the cost per thermal joule of natural gas. In that situation, consumers will shift to resistive heat, and be able to bank that heat in large thermal stores. This will provide enormous cheap storage capacity for that solar energy. EROI of renewables is just fine, some horribly flawed claims to the opposite notwithstanding. In particular, the EROI of PV was estimated to be about 8 in Europe -- but that assumes one puts the solar-powered PV factories IN EUROPE, rather than in a location with more sun. The real issue there is that energy-intensive industry will flee Europe in a solar-powered world.