[ RadSafe ] nuclear power is nowhere near green (was Re: Nukes are Green)

[James Salsman]

John Rich wrote:

> If wind power is so good why isn't there more of it?

As Nicholas Kristof points out, a decade ago wind power cost five
times as much per kilowatt-hour as it does today.  It is likely that
the trend in turbine and windmill efficiencies will continue for at
least the next three years.  A large portion of these improvements
have been foreseeable, and some producers have waited to begin
installing large scale wind power because of them.  Less than six
months ago the Rocky Mountain News declared wind the least expensive
form of new power generation.

The following analysis[1] was done by Jed Rothwell back in 2002,
before wind power was more economical than natural gas-powered
electricity:

> In 30 years world electricity requirements
> will be ~3,500,000 MW (nameplate). Wind is now increasing at the rate of
> ~4,700 MW per year (nameplate). The average increase per year for the last
> decade has been ~25%, and that rate is increasing. It  will reach ~3.5
> million MW in ~30 years. There are more than enough wind resources in North
> America, China, and Europe to power the entire world....  There are
> no technical limitations that would prevent wind from meeting all demand for
> electricity. 

[1] 
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sci.physics.fusion/msg/ca09e18f0fd13173

Sincerely,
James Salsman