Nuclear power in the future?

Question:

Although nuclear industry appears to be going downhill, the recent oil crisis has shown that fossil fuels are not abundant. Considering the issue of global warming by using fossil fuels (particularly coal), how is the world going to respond to the increased demand for electricity? The renewables do not seem to be a reliable solution at least for the next decade or so. Should we turn back to this (reletively clean) source of energy, the atom?

Response:

> Although nuclear industry appears to be going downhill, the recent oil > crisis has shown that fossil fuels are not abundant. Considering the > issue of global warming by using fossil fuels (particularly coal), how > is the world going to respond to the increased demand for electricity? > The renewables do not seem to be a reliable solution at least for the > next decade or so. Should we turn back to this (reletively clean) > source of energy, the atom?

I don’t know what you mean by a recent oil crisis but I understand wind turbines can input at least 20% of grid power without disrupting it. Since there is currently probably less that 1% generated by wind there is plenty of room for wind power growth before any more nucs are needed. Malcolm

Response:

M>I understand wind turbines can input at least 20% of grid power without M>disrupting it. Since there is currently probably less that 1% generated M>by wind there is plenty of room for wind power growth To my knowledge both of your numbers are on the low side, the second one more so. But they do not pertain to the same thing: 20 % or 30 % of instantaneous *peak* power from sources loading the net as far as voltage and frequency regulation goes is about all it can take before becoming unstable, 2 % to 3 % of *average* input from wind is achieved in some grids, for example in coastal northern Germany. With wind’s enormous variabilty there is far less room for expansion than you assume. Also wind looks well enaugh developed by now to limit further price reductions, so it very much looks like a permant subsidy trough. — Tsch

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