3 ms·

The grid is failing on hot days because of the amount of thermal generation they still use. When it gets hot, thermal plants produce less power because their pr

The grid is failing on hot days because of the amount of thermal generation they still use. When it gets hot, thermal plants produce less power because their production capacity is related to the difference in temperature between their steam and the ambient air. Nuclear plants are thermal plants. They are not magic. They have to abide by the laws of physics.

automatic6131 4y ago
A marginal effect given thermal plants run their steam at hundreds of degrees. The efficiency difference between 800/280 and 800/310 isn't very large.
- jgwil2 4y ago
  What kind of margins are we talking about here exactly? How does it compare to the demand-side problem of increased AC usage?
- manicdee 4y ago
  Enough to reduce output by 5–10%, which is less than useful when demand is peaking. 800 - 280 = 520, 800 - 310 = 490. That’s a change of about 6%.