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Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

reuters.com

471–474 of 474 posts

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#471
post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nuclear production doesn't react in seconds but it doesn't need permanent demand as far as I know? What makes you think that?

A nuclear reactor can load-follow (increase or decrease their output) by up to 5% of their rated capacity per minute in normal operation: https://snetp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SNETP-Factsheet-... For power plants, this is glacial. A power grid has to balanced perfectly on a sub-second level. Also, you can only do this down to about 50% of rated capacity. Below that you have to switch it off completely. If you c…

>For power plants, this is glacial

But as far as I know this is a non issue since we 've mostly been able to cover this where it props up. Especially since the grid's demand doesn't tend to go 0-100 or the other way around that fast. Even with a significant amount of nuclear there's multiple of those solar farms, wind farms, etc

For the small fluctuations the turbine's governor response can provide frequency stabilization and pressurised water reactors also provide moderate load following.

>The other aspect is the economics of nuclear itself. Nuclear power plants are the most capital intensive generation capacity you can build. Even when driving them at the maximum of their rated capacity, the have a levelized cost of electricity several times that of PV and Wind per kwh.

When I looked at actually honest comparisons this simply isn't true across the board. I mean it doesn't help that the west has built so few recently and managed some exceptional fuckups whilst also making a lightbulb in an unimportant sidebuildings toilet cost a couple dozen grand in a way that might as well be purposefull sabotage of nuclear but much of the world (read mostly china) does relatively fine with their costs and time frame. These comparisons also have a tendency to use absolutely unrealistic storage costs all the same or foresee continued storage costs of methods that are exhausted. (hydro over here) Additionally it's the cheapest solar that often pulls this down but the vast majority in let's say here in Belgium is residential which is a lot lot more costly and less efficient. The solar farms are all way more south so a lot of these american reports don't make much sense in most of europe either.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#472
post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't power to gas still ridiculously inneficient? Last I checked it seemed like something pushed by gas companies since it upholds gas infrastructure and most of the intermittence is currently supported by gas.

It's very costly compared to normal gas but it's still marginally cheaper to use solar and roundtrip p2g to use on a cold, windless night than it is to use nuclear power produced on any day of the year. There's just zero economic incentive while polluting gas is dirt cheap and maxxed out solar and wind rarely even covers 100% of current electricity demand.

How is it marginally cheaper? We don't even do it anywhere to a notable degree and it would make obvious sense to do so if it was cheap. Also I suspect this presumes that these gas plants and gas infrastructure cost nothing since they already exist.

>There's just zero economic incentive while polluting gas is dirt cheap and maxxed out solar and wind rarely even covers 100% of current electricity demand.

It requires that we go beyond that 100% and as we do the incentives for it drop and the economic case for polluting gas goes up.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m an Australian living in Australia connected to the eastern grid. I have the invoices from my electricity bills to prove my assertion. I used to pay 12 cents per kilowatt hour, now I pay 36 cents or more. That’s a 300% increase for electricity prices vs, if I recall correctly, 26% for general inflation over the same 25 year period. And you’re trying to tell me I’m wrong. Why? I’ll believe a drop in electricity pri…

Renewables do not reduce the need for grid investment costs between generators and you, that revenue and capital would be required regardless if you are unable or unwilling to produce all of the electricity to meet your domestic consumption requirements from rooftop solar and on site battery storage. Wholesale generation costs + distribution costs + taxes = your bill.

> Renewables do not reduce the need for grid investment costs between generators and you,

You’re right, they don’t reduce grid costs.

They massively increase it.

We wouldn’t need much in the way of new grid infrastructure if new generation capacity was primarily combined cycle gas turbines, coal, and nuclear power plants, because these can largely be upgrades to existing generation sites.

And even where they are greenfields in new locations, gas / coal / nuclear are incredibly energy dense compared with wind or solar, thereby requiring less new high voltage transmission / distribution infrastructure.

Fact: Australia is happy to sell our gas a coal and uranium for the world to use. Why is it okay for others to burn our cheap coal, but not us? It’s the same atmosphere.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#474
post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It feels like this collective insanity will never end They simply do not believe that the consequences will be as bad as the models predict. And a lot of trust and good will has been expended on social issues, for example the fight to allow transgender people to use whatever bathroom they choose, or to promote childhood reassignment surgery, etc. As a strategic decision, we have taken our eye off the ball, climate…

Kamala Harris started out with a surge of popularity. Talking about corporate price gouging and selecting Tim Walz as her running mate who had clear populist messaging. Then the strategists who think like you got in her ear. Told her to stop attacking corporations to protect donations. Had her campaign with Cheney and talk about shooting home invaders. Then of course she refused to take a strong stand on the genocide…

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