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Counted on a per kwh basis, wind is cheap and clean- and per kwh is all that matters for some applications.

Intermittency just mean that we cant switch society over to it wholesale. -
CCS is a daft idea, because a coal fired plant with ccs is going to be at even more expensive and difficult to build than a nuclear powerplant, and the potential failure modes make chernobyl look harmless - imagine what happens if the geological storage ruptures after 15 years of operation? - Everything above the storage point will chocke to death.
So its simply worse than nuclear plant in every possible way. and to top it off, we dont know how to actually build them. Replacing replacing coalfired plants with reactors will be cheaper and safer both..

by Thomas on Fri Aug 21st, 2009 at 10:19:03 AM EST
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Welcome to European Tribune, Thomas!

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
by Melanchthon on Fri Aug 21st, 2009 at 10:36:02 AM EST
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Yep.  I am now wondering whether baseload is merely a positive spin on a disadvantage: large thermal plants can't cycle up and down easily, so let's instead say that baseload is in fact an essential part of the design.  This is clearer when you look at the subsidies that go towards off peak usage.  Some industries actually get paid to use off peak electricity perhaps so that they provide a load dump capability to these inflexible generators (if you generate electricity you can't use the voltage and frequency change instead).
by njh on Fri Aug 21st, 2009 at 01:09:14 PM EST
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