Current Climate: A New Nuclear Reactor Goes Online In Georgia
Current Climate: A New Nuclear Reactor Goes Online In Georgia
This week’s Current Climate, which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability.
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I wonder how many emissions could we have avoided if that money was spent on renewables + batteries while we were waiting for this powerplant to come online
Renewables + batteries? You wouldn't have saved any emissions. Construction of a nuclear plant doesn't require as much carbon emissions as you think. And regardless, nuclear isn't competing with renewables, anyway, it's for replacing carbon-emitting power plants. Nuclear and renewables need to work hand-in-hand if we want to actually reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Money is finite, and every decision creates an opportunity cost. In that sense, every energy generation technology competes with one another.
Sure, but we don't talk about solar vs wind power, do we? They all have their place. It's the same thing here. Renewables and nuclear each have a place in a zero carbon grid.
Renewables and batteries are great tools, we need to be building these out. Nuclear can best complement renewables with a stable, emission free, base load capacity. Nuclear has its own challenges, but renewables can not replace enormous load that's currently carried by coal and gas in the near or extended term.
Not as much as what the NPP will save in the long run.
Nuclear power plants typically retire after 40 years. I wouldn't be surprised if replacing all the renewables and batteries after 20 or 30 years would still be cheaper than this nuclear plant
Nuclear is the best solution we have at the moment until fusion reactors work.
Wait until you learn about the horrific environmental impact of battery production. And the amount of slavery involved in their creation.
What's uranium mining like for the environment?
Not great but uranium can be mined in first world nations unlike cobalt which is mined by slaves in the congo. Nuclear is long term better for the environment than cobalt mining for batteries.