Power consumption isn’t going down. We have to have replacements online to be able to dismantle fossil fuel plants. The power grid is a fairly delicate balance and it cannot operate with a gap, unless you want daily blackouts because demand is higher than what can be supplied.
We already have the technology to replace fossil fuel usage in most regions. Ultimately, if 24 hour production like hydro, geothermal, etc. aren’t available then nuclear can fill the base load gap, with a surplus of power. Solar and wind are great, but they aren’t 24/7 supplies, base load is still necessary. But most people have an extremely inaccurate view of nuclear power and waste, in large part by the media reporting for the dramatic rather than factual education, since that’s what makes them money.
The problem is that operating a nuclear power plant is more expensive then gas power plants or renewables. We also see a massive drop in battery prices, so utility scale batteries see massive growth. The other key technology is hvdc. It is always sunny or windy somewhere. So being able to transport a lot of electricity means less need for base load. It also allows connecting to hydro power plants with reservoirs, which can act as massive storage systems. Also keep in mind nuclear takes a decade from initial plan to actually producing power. Costs for all of the other power technologies are falling rapidly.
Renewables are not as variable as a lot of people seem to think. Especially on a large scale.
Power consumption isn’t going down. We have to have replacements online to be able to dismantle fossil fuel plants. The power grid is a fairly delicate balance and it cannot operate with a gap, unless you want daily blackouts because demand is higher than what can be supplied.
We already have the technology to replace fossil fuel usage in most regions. Ultimately, if 24 hour production like hydro, geothermal, etc. aren’t available then nuclear can fill the base load gap, with a surplus of power. Solar and wind are great, but they aren’t 24/7 supplies, base load is still necessary. But most people have an extremely inaccurate view of nuclear power and waste, in large part by the media reporting for the dramatic rather than factual education, since that’s what makes them money.
The problem is that operating a nuclear power plant is more expensive then gas power plants or renewables. We also see a massive drop in battery prices, so utility scale batteries see massive growth. The other key technology is hvdc. It is always sunny or windy somewhere. So being able to transport a lot of electricity means less need for base load. It also allows connecting to hydro power plants with reservoirs, which can act as massive storage systems. Also keep in mind nuclear takes a decade from initial plan to actually producing power. Costs for all of the other power technologies are falling rapidly.
Renewables are not as variable as a lot of people seem to think. Especially on a large scale.