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Fantastic news. The combination of nuclear and renewables is the foundation for a carbon free future. I’m also excited at the prospect of the new nuclear design

Fantastic news. The combination of nuclear and renewables is the foundation for a carbon free future. I’m also excited at the prospect of the new nuclear designs being built by the hundreds which will dramatically lower the per unit cost. Abundant, 24/7 reliable, clean power generation will decouple economic growth from environmental damage.

ViewTrick1002 2y ago
How will nuclear power and renewables combine? They compete for the same slice of the grid, the cheapest most inflexible, a competition new built nuclear power loses due to be horrifically expensive. Thus nuclear power becomes forced into ever more marginalized peaking roles. Try calculate the cost for a kWh of electricity from a peaking nuclear power plant.
- codewench 2y ago
  How do they compete for the same role? Nuclear is the definition of base power generation, whereas solar/wind/etc (when backed with massive battery farms) are perfect peaker plants due to their near instantaneous demand response.
- chickenbig 2y ago
  > They compete for the same slice of the grid That depends on the market setup of the grid; if generator and retailer bypass the various market arrangements (as is the case in the UK since NETA) the price on the market is irrelevant. EDF can choose to have their own power transported to their consumers, leaving intermittent generators to be constrained away. Hence the CfD for Hinkley Point C is a relatively assured revenue stream, unlike for offshore wind merchant generators who are increasingly at risk from being constrained away (at the loss of their CfD payments, in exchange for a smaller constraint payment).
deprecative 2y ago
The power generated won't be used to power homes. It will be used to train LLMs. This does nothing to move us away from carbon. I agree nuclear should be utilized but only for the benefit of the working class. Nuclear for the sake of capital interests is a recipe for disaster.
- BenFranklin100 2y ago
  Electrical usage will go to the highest bidder. If Amazon can stomach more $ kw/hr than a homeowner, prices simply rise and CO2 increases, not that LLMs simply don’t get trained. You need to understand how things work in the real world, not in an imagined socialist utopia.

ViewTrick1002 2y ago

How will nuclear power and renewables combine? They compete for the same slice of the grid, the cheapest most inflexible, a competition new built nuclear power loses due to be horrifically expensive. Thus nuclear power becomes forced into ever more marginalized peaking roles. Try calculate the cost for a kWh of electricity from a peaking nuclear power plant.

codewench 2y ago
How do they compete for the same role? Nuclear is the definition of base power generation, whereas solar/wind/etc (when backed with massive battery farms) are perfect peaker plants due to their near instantaneous demand response.
chickenbig 2y ago
> They compete for the same slice of the grid That depends on the market setup of the grid; if generator and retailer bypass the various market arrangements (as is the case in the UK since NETA) the price on the market is irrelevant. EDF can choose to have their own power transported to their consumers, leaving intermittent generators to be constrained away. Hence the CfD for Hinkley Point C is a relatively assured revenue stream, unlike for offshore wind merchant generators who are increasingly at risk from being constrained away (at the loss of their CfD payments, in exchange for a smaller constraint payment).

deprecative 2y ago

The power generated won't be used to power homes. It will be used to train LLMs. This does nothing to move us away from carbon. I agree nuclear should be utilized but only for the benefit of the working class. Nuclear for the sake of capital interests is a recipe for disaster.

BenFranklin100 2y ago
Electrical usage will go to the highest bidder. If Amazon can stomach more $ kw/hr than a homeowner, prices simply rise and CO2 increases, not that LLMs simply don’t get trained. You need to understand how things work in the real world, not in an imagined socialist utopia.