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Well either nuclear is cheaper than renewables+backup (for peak load), then you want to use 100% nuclear, or renewables+backup are cheaper, then you want to use
by adrianN 5y ago
Well either nuclear is cheaper than renewables+backup (for peak load), then you want to use 100% nuclear, or renewables+backup are cheaper, then you want to use 100% that. I don't see a scenario where you run nuclear for baseload and renewables+backup for peaks, but maybe I'm wrong.
- ben_w 5y agoI’d choose both if the difference is small. Don’t want to risk geopolitical issues with either one, so mix them. How big a cost gap between them is worth the security benefit is not something I can even guess at, to the extent that I can believe I may even be wrong to suggest it can ever happen.
- lkbm 5y agoWell, if the renewables in question were hydro, I'd say you're wrong, because hydro is fantastic for scaling up and down on demand. But since we're mostly talking about solar, that doesn't apply. What may apply is that solar will have highest output when it's sunny, whereas in a hot climate, demand will peak when it's sunny — which aren't quite the same thing, but strongly correlated. That said, you need to be able to handle hot, cloudy days, and for that reason you may be right that you're best off going entirely with one or the other.