4 ms·

I mentioned nuclear. It is secondary to the conversion from coal to gas though in terms of near-term realized benefit. Nuclear requires a lot of dereg and test

by aksss 6y ago

I mentioned nuclear. It is secondary to the conversion from coal to gas though in terms of near-term realized benefit. Nuclear requires a lot of dereg and testing that will be decades out if we start today. This assumes the barriers of popular rejection can be overcome. China might pull it off, but I don't see the US radiating enthusiasm for it. But yeah, since few places on earth can take advantage of hydro, I don't see any long-term alternative to nuclear.

ClumsyPilot 6y ago
It does not require dereg, it requires investment. Just lile renewables do.
- arpa 6y ago
  It just isn't as hot right now as "renewables". What's needed is a good marketing campaign, people will follow, and so will imvestments. Downsides will be gleefully ignored, just like with solar.
- iso1631 6y ago
  The UK is building a new nuclear plant and new offshore wind. The nuclear plant has a strike price twice as high as the offshore wind.
  - ClumsyPilot 6y ago
    And the nuclear plant will produce at 100% of its capacity in any weather. Meanwhile wind will jave average capacity of like 30%
- aksss 6y ago
  Many developed nations are reducing nuclear energy dependency as a matter of policy and preventing new reactors as a matter of regulation so dereg is a barrier that needs to be addressed for nuclear to become an alternative source in the highest carbon-impacting nations. The key parameters in a nuclear build are: 1) the construction time (impacted by regulatory regimes) 2) the cost of capital (interest rate of tying up money) 3) an uncertainty factor about getting shut down (impacted by regulatory regimes) In China, 1&2 are 3-4 years and 2% respectively. In the US they are 8-9 years, 15% and maybe 50% chance you'll be shut down before you can finish. [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k&t=1154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k&t=1154

by aksss 6y ago

ClumsyPilot 6y ago

It does not require dereg, it requires investment. Just lile renewables do.

arpa 6y ago
It just isn't as hot right now as "renewables". What's needed is a good marketing campaign, people will follow, and so will imvestments. Downsides will be gleefully ignored, just like with solar.
iso1631 6y ago
The UK is building a new nuclear plant and new offshore wind. The nuclear plant has a strike price twice as high as the offshore wind.
- ClumsyPilot 6y ago
  And the nuclear plant will produce at 100% of its capacity in any weather. Meanwhile wind will jave average capacity of like 30%
aksss 6y ago
Many developed nations are reducing nuclear energy dependency as a matter of policy and preventing new reactors as a matter of regulation so dereg is a barrier that needs to be addressed for nuclear to become an alternative source in the highest carbon-impacting nations. The key parameters in a nuclear build are: 1) the construction time (impacted by regulatory regimes) 2) the cost of capital (interest rate of tying up money) 3) an uncertainty factor about getting shut down (impacted by regulatory regimes) In China, 1&2 are 3-4 years and 2% respectively. In the US they are 8-9 years, 15% and maybe 50% chance you'll be shut down before you can finish. [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k&t=1154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k&t=1154