Environment & Energy

jpak

(41,758 posts) Tue Oct 1, 2019, 02:49 PM Oct 2019

A mix of solar, wind and batteries threatens the future of nuclear power

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/a-mix-of-solar-wind-and-batteries-threatens-the-future-of-nuclear-power-1.600949

The natural gas boom is killing America's nuclear industry. Wind and solar may finish the job.

While nuclear plants struggle to compete with the flood of cheap gas coming from the nation's shale fields, they still offer a key advantage, supporters say: They generate 24-hour electricity without producing carbon emissions. Renewables, meanwhile, haven't yet nailed down the storage capacity needed to do that. Proponents insist it's only a matter of time.

Battery prices have plunged 85% from 2010 through 2018, and huge storage plants are planned in California and Arizona. Meanwhile, science is advancing on new technology — including chemical alternatives to lithium-ion systems — with the potential to supply power for 100 hours straight, sun or no sun.

"All signs point to the acceleration of renewable energy that can out-compete nuclear and fossil fuels," said Jodie Van Horn, director of the Sierra Club's Ready for 100 campaign, a group seeking a grid powered solely by renewables.

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4 replies

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A mix of solar, wind and batteries threatens the future of nuclear power (Original Post) jpak Oct 2019 OP

Nuke prices keep climbing Miguelito Loveless Oct 2019 #1

Contracting the maintenance is a never-ending, super costly to the tax payers and... Tikki Oct 2019 #4

We closed San Onofre and in 2025 we are going to close Diablo Canyon. I live 30 miles from Diablo wasupaloopa Oct 2019 #2

Good bbrady42 Oct 2019 #3

Miguelito Loveless

(4,465 posts)

1. Nuke prices keep climbing

Reply to jpak (Original post)

Tue Oct 1, 2019, 03:12 PM

Oct 2019

Nuclear power cannot exist without subsidies, whereas renewables are now beating coal and even natural gas without subsidies.

Nuclear reactors are too expensive, take to long to build, are always years over schedule and billions over budget.

Solar/wind/batteries get cheaper every year, improve in efficiency, are quick to build, and come in at, or under, budget consistently.

Tikki

(14,557 posts)

4. Contracting the maintenance is a never-ending, super costly to the tax payers and...

Reply to Miguelito Loveless (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 1, 2019, 03:50 PM

Oct 2019

full of ‘deals’.

Tikki

wasupaloopa

(4,516 posts)

2. We closed San Onofre and in 2025 we are going to close Diablo Canyon. I live 30 miles from Diablo

Reply to jpak (Original post)

Tue Oct 1, 2019, 03:18 PM

Oct 2019

Canyon. It sits on a hill above the Pacific Ocean. We had a 7.4 magnitude earthquake 236 miles away last month.

We have had the largest wild fires in our history the last three years. Each one bigger than the last. The second largest, the Thomas fire is 70 miles from me. Mudslides destroyed property and took lives.

The waste from nuclear reactors cannot be stored safely and no one wants in their back yard.

There is no fucking good reason to keep nuclear power.

bbrady42

(175 posts)

3. Good

Reply to jpak (Original post)

Tue Oct 1, 2019, 03:42 PM

Oct 2019

A nuclear plant will provide power for 30-50 years. The waste it produces is dangerous and difficult to store for more than 1000.

Stored solar, wind, or hydro is safer, cleaner, and cheaper.

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