Lipow:
I would add that more tranmission can reduce the need for storage,
and storage can be done by various kinds of utility scale batteries
which have less impact than pumped storage (which is truly awful
environmentally). Lastly he is advocating a mixed renewable nuclear
grid which in terms of cost gives you the worst of all world. If you
mix a lot renewable energy with a lot nuclear energy, you have to dump
most of the production from either your nuclear plants or from your
solar and wind generation. Either way that raises you costs a lot.
Nuclear or renewable. pick one. Split the baby on this one and you
just end up with a dead baby.
Paul:
If you had a world wide grid, you might be able to do with a small nuclear
sector, but until then, you need base load capacity because of fluctuations in
wind supply, lack of sunlight at night etc.
There is an inherent wastefulness of using such erratic supplies.
Storage is a hard problem, batteries will require lots of materials that are
actually quite rare and expensive. Lithium batteries are the most efficient,
but Lithium supplies are not up to the building of utility scale batteries.
There are various alternatives like compressed air storage, or flywheels, but
there is little practical experience of using these on an industrial scale.
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
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