this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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Mildly Interesting
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Baseload storage is a pipe dream. The storage and generation capacity necessary to make that work would be about two orders of magnitude more expensive to maintain and operate than the equivalent nuclear capacity, and the environmental impact would be far greater still.
That's not to say that storage is useless; it certainly isn't. But its utility is in leveling spikes and dips, not replacing baseload generation during a "lull".
That's simply not true. This has been well studied, and a 100% renewable + storage option is quite feasible. It's even easier if you focus on going 95% first (that last 5% gets much, much harder).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009249541/
Depends on your definition of "feasible".
It is certainly within the capabilities of humanity to do it.
It would cost far more, and have much higher ecological impact than alternatives.
To me, that is not "feasible".
It's feasible and cost effective. The academic research on this has been quite clear, but it isn't the sort of thing that generates headlines. Nuclear just isn't necessary.