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

[James Salsman]

Frank Helk wrote, in response to:

>>[...] Wind power can be easily stored
>> by pumping water to elevated tanks or reservoirs, and using the
>> potential energy to run ordinary hydroelectric turbines.
> 
> That's not really true - the reservoirs need pretty much land

Water-based gravitational energy storage can be constructed entirely
underground.  Other methods of economical energy storage include
hydrogen electrolysis (approaching 50% efficient; more efficient than
gravitational storage), flywheels, counterweight levers, and
traditional chemical storage cells.

> and they cost a lot of money. 

How would you compare their cost to a situation where an attacker
ignites a nuclear waste storage facility near a populated area?

> And for every windmill you have to provide a
> matching amount of a conventional power station in standby (called 
> "shadow power station") for the times when the windmill doesn't 
> generate electricity

This is true in a relatively compact country like Germany, but less
true over larger land mass areas such as that covered by the North
American electric grid.

> A conventional power station will last until the fuel is empty, or as long 
> as you can bring fuel to it.

Most of the worlds electricity demands are currently satisfied by such
conventional stations.

>... Not to speak about the issues with 
> windmills (they're killing birds, throw with ice lumps in winter, etc.)

Modern wind turbines do neither.  25 years ago, both were serious
problems.

> - the enormous cost for the additional power lines needed to connect
>   every windmill to the power grid.

The amortized cost of shaped wind power, less than a tenth of what
nuclear power costs, includes the cost of distribution facilities.

> - the fact that not every patch of farmland has enough wind on it
>   to make a windmill profitalble.

No, but the 15% of North American farmland which the USGS reported
could back in  1998 is several times as much as needed to satisfy
all local demand, and more so today, and much more so tomorrow.

Sincerely,
James Salsman