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I just wonder where all the new operators of these plants are going to come from?The US Navy,which was the source of almost all reactor operators,is now about 1/2 its former size,guys who got out of the field ten and twenty years ago aren't going to run back to it unless they get big bucks,and I mean big bucks,too much B.S.,paperwork and very long hours.Another added cost no ones thinking about.
This is GREAT news. We need more of these built. France is currently running 70% of its power from Nuke plants.
i saw a show on France's nuke plants. They are having problems because of global warming. They said the lakes are becoming warmer and are not able to cool the plants down enough. They had to shut some of the plants down "temporarily" until the cooler months.
This story covers less than 1/5 of the real story.
First, these plants are proposed be a HUGE welfare project for the builders/contractors. 80% of the cost is to be paid by the government. That is why the builders want to build them. No legit investor would touch this mess.
Second, they cost more to operate. That cost will be dumped onto future rate payers.
Third, they take 10 to 15 years to bring on line. This has no realistic relationship to present or even near future energy needs or use.
Fourth, despite operating for over 50 years, there is still no real long term clean up or storage plan for the waste generated. To continue this practice with the intent of dumping on the future is an unconscionable act.
Firth, Nukes are “base load” power sources. There is little demand for base-load power in the US. Base load is the power the grid uses constantly, day or night, hot or cold. Coal and Nukes are base load generation sources. They can take days or even weeks to bring up on line.
Where there is market demand is in the Peak Load. That is the load that goes up and down daily as most electricity is used during the day. The heaviest load is the middle of Summer on the hottest days for Air Conditioning loads. Those Peak loads are generally supplemented by Hydroelectric (dams), Solar, and Gas Turbines. Those source fire up quickly and come on line, as needed.
There is presently vast surplus in base-load generation. In the Texas and Southwest market that I design for, entire coal plants are taken off line for weeks or even months in the Spring and Fall for maintenance and modifications.
In short summary, Nukes:
1. Builders’ welfare scam
2. Costs more to operate
3. Future fantasy
4. Unethical clean-up mess
5. Miss the market demand.
It is really hard to find or create a big loser than that collection of the real deal. About the only thing "Green" in that is some high dollar money scamming.
Not that I am any sort of doomer or “no-power-for-no-body” sort -- There are some excellent choices available in Solar Thermal (Not PV), that have NONE of the downside of Nukes.
A summary where that is heading may be found here. (some nice pix, too)
A very interesting read. I am an engineer, but not the electrical power kind, so my basic question is in transmission of power. My understanding is that you cannot economically transmit power for much more than 400 miles or so. So I'm suspicious when claims are made that the southwest can supply enough power for the nation. How do you get it to Chicago, or the northeast?
I'm very interested in the latest thinking in that area.
A very interesting read. I am an engineer, but not the electrical power kind, so my basic question is in transmission of power. My understanding is that you cannot economically transmit power for much more than 400 miles or so. So I'm suspicious when claims are made that the southwest can supply enough power for the nation. How do you get it to Chicago, or the northeast?
I'm very interested in the latest thinking in that area.
There are some "fairly" good options for ye in the olde frozen north.
Used to live up that way, myself. And an engineer type? You have my double sympathy. You do Michigan Tech? Had a couple of friends squeeze 4 years of education into 5 years. Good school.
To start with, yes, HV (and all transmission) is lossy. Dunno that I would really say there is some magic mileage limit, maybe more a case of how much loss one would care to endure.
You probably recall that power is W(atts) = I (current or amps) X V (volts). Means to transmit the power, if you turn up the voltage you can drop the amps. And the power loss part (due to line resistance) is a major factor of the current -- W(atts) = I^2 X R. Keep the current low, and the losses are less.
With that in mind there are proposals and plans in the works for 700+ kV lines across Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri coming right at you. Presently our highest voltage in Texas is 345 kV.
And while the Southwest is optimal for year 'round Solar Thermal use, it works into the North, as well. From what I followed elsewhere you have been pondering heat options up there. Might take a look at Welcome to OTHERPOWER.COM for some ideas and if you like low cost Solar Thermal in particular for heat and hot water you have to look at this next one. It is a DIY classic, a how-to-manual by an engineer in Idaho from the last "energy crisis." >>> A Tracking Solar Concentrator for the home experimenter, file: solarhom.htm, 11/11/99
Actually, the price of a nuclear plant would allow every home served by it to become fully independent with wind and/or solar power. Nuclear plants have a habit of causing existing power bills to increase 4 fold. and the plants also have 100% cost overruns.
of course this does not address the issue of there is no safe place to put one and the spent fuel rods must be contained for a million years or more... we don't even know where cities that are only 5000 years old are why do we think we can track something for 1 million years?
A nuclear power plant makes no sense from a financial perspective or an environmental one. We need to require wind and solar generation and cut our ties to coal and nuclear power systems.
I heard somewhere that they are researching more effienct repoccessing techinques of spent fuel rods so that there won't be any waste. If that was confirmed, i'd be all for nuke power. The biggest question is what do you with the waste. that's the main problem.
Actually, the price of a nuclear plant would allow every home served by it to become fully independent with wind and/or solar power. Nuclear plants have a habit of causing existing power bills to increase 4 fold. and the plants also have 100% cost overruns.
of course this does not address the issue of there is no safe place to put one and the spent fuel rods must be contained for a million years or more... we don't even know where cities that are only 5000 years old are why do we think we can track something for 1 million years?
A nuclear power plant makes no sense from a financial perspective or an environmental one. We need to require wind and solar generation and cut our ties to coal and nuclear power systems.
the only problem with wind, is the envromentalists do not like them either, they tend to kill birds?
I would love to do a solar array, or a small home wind generator in my yard, but for one the HOA would have a conniption fit. And 2 we don't have enough wind in my general area to make the wind generator worth it. The solar would be GREAT since Colorado has 360ish days of sunlight, But again HOA's throw a fit (even with the newer low profile cells) and the upfront cost is more than I can afford to bare.
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