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Thanks. > All externally heated thermal power plants have become uncompetitive now. Not just nuclear, but also coal, geothermal, and concentrating solar therma

Thanks. > All externally heated thermal power plants have become uncompetitive now. Not just nuclear, but also coal, geothermal, and concentrating solar thermal Are you saying that an externally heated power plant is unlikely to be cost competitive even if the source of energy is free? If not, your overall comment doesn't make sense to me. If so, that's an extraordinary that could very well be true, but I haven't heard anyone argue it and I'd be extremely interested in further reading/links/citations.

pfdietz 6y ago
Yes, that is the direction things are going in. The remaining thermal power technology that's still (for the moment) viable is combustion turbines, which are internally heated (combined cycle does have an externally heated bottoming cycle, but only 1/3 the power output goes through that, and it shares the generator with the combustion turbine proper.) But even combustion turbine sales are falling; that's what's gotten General Electric in such trouble lately.
- jessriedel 6y ago
  Much appreciated! Are there any forward-looking doc's you can recommend that discuss this in more depth, especially any that try to get at the basic physics or economics? It's truly startling to me, and to the extent it's true it really changes the way people should think about future energy tech.