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You will note that I never criticize the nuclear industry while pushing wind. Both are needed. Why can't you return the courtesy?

All the time you spend criticizing what might be an issue with wind generation in 10 or 20 years is time not spent criticising coal. It's a pity.

Also, it's not quite true that wind cannot kill coal. If externalities are properly accounted for (starting with carbon emissions, something now under way) then coal is not very competitive against wind.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jan 29th, 2007 at 01:21:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Because I disagree that "both are needed". Nuclear is needed, wind is optional.

Note that beyond the 100 / 50 % divide, there's the fact that wind has to be augmented with hydroelectric dams or gas production. The former is enormously destructive environmentally and the latter is enormously draining economically. So if a country such as Turkey is going to be building 2 nuclear power plants, better it build 4 or 8. Especially since you get further economies of scale the more you build.

As for wind killing coal, that proposition is a little dubious. What advantage does wind have over nuclear? Does construction of a wind farm take less time than a nuclear power plant? Do the environmental studies take less time?

Never mind the fact that global wind turbine production capacity is booked solid for the next several years while nuclear production could be quickly ramped up. Probably because hey, 3x as many turbines.

Nevermind also that offshore wind farms cost much more than onshore ones. Nevermind that siting is much more difficult. Nevermind that the grid connections have to be more sophisticated.

Nevermind also the fact that the people who push windfarms, and photovoltaics, are the same crazy idiots who want to kill nuclear power. That's not you, but it doesn't exactly make me like wind power.

So speaking objectively, and not of smoke and mirrors, what's to like about wind farms?

by richardk (richard kulisz gmail) on Mon Jan 29th, 2007 at 02:29:22 PM EST
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