According to the article, intermittent operation is assuming new desalinization technology that needs to be invented: > Current RO plants cost more like $2000/

According to the article, intermittent operation is assuming new desalinization technology that needs to be invented: > Current RO plants cost more like $2000/kW, so they’re both financially and technically unsuited to intermittent operation, which fatigues their membranes. Thermal desalination could achieve radically lower cost, albeit at lower energy efficiencies, so there’s work to be done here designing new, low cost desalination machines that fully exploit the upside of cheap solar PV. And that’s largely the point of the article. It’s not being done yet, but he thinks it’s technically feasible and could be a game-changer. Big if true. It’s not something we should plan on until the technology is further developed, but seems like worthwhile R&D to fund.