He lives in Illinois, the state with over 50% of it’s electricity provided by Nuclear Energy. I really wish people who are all about renewable energy would acknowledge the extremely important role nuclear power should hold even in the future. He mentions nuclear as an aside, but there really should be a wider push amongst environmentalists for emissions free nuclear reactors.
Nuclear is just a money pit at this point in time. Its not wort it anymore. The same energy can be achieved by solar + battery farm for way less money. Even in places like britain where it rains al ot its still cheaper and wind is even more so.
Nuclear is not intermittent and can maintain very stable turbine rotation though, which is great if you want to have a stable grid.
Wind energy requires either a very stable high-power backup (not only due to intermittency, but also variable output frequency), or losses to AC-DC-AC conversion and issues associated with inverters and sensitive motor-based devices.
Solar is intermittent and needs inverters, too.
So, all have their place. Some solutions do emerge, like pumped hydro storage, which both buffers intermittency and allows to directly obtain AC power with desired characteristics, but they’re not universally applicable and can fail through long no-power streaks.
Maybe in Finland it has a place (high latitude, a low supply of hydro power). Also in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan (densely populated mountainous countries with a low supply of hydro power).
Allow existing nuclear to keep operating? Yes
Allow new nuclear to be built, assuming the constructors fully finance and assume the risk of the project themselves? Also yes
Subsidize nuclear over renewables? No
Allow nuclear to be used as a wedge for the fossil fuel propaganda machine to keep their emissions going, since building nuclear takes decades and costs far more than renewables, displacing potential investment in renewables? Not a chance in hell
I have nothing ideological against nuclear, but it is way overdue that nuclear boosters face the music and acknowledge what role the technology is having in the political landscape at the moment.
Subsidize nuclear over renewables? No
Allow nuclear to be used as a wedge for the fossil fuel propaganda machine to keep their emissions going, since building nuclear takes decades and costs far more than renewables, displacing potential investment in renewables? Not a chance in hell
You are literally doing what you claim to decry. Anti-nuclear means you are supporting fossil fuels. No one except people whose trigger word is “nuclear” thinks we should build fossil fuel power plants. The reality is that every time a nuclear powerplant is decommissioned it’s not replaced by wind/solar, its replaced by fossil fuel plants. If you don’t care about the environment at least be honest, since i really doubt you are being paid by the fossil fuel industry, no need to push their anti-nuclear propaganda.
building nuclear takes decades
regulatory: 3-5 years
site prep and build: 3-5 years
stocking, staffing, startup: 1-2 years
If we rush the regulatory, it’s then 4-7 years; or not even one decade.
I’m not saying it’s overnight, but it’s not ‘decades’.
To be fair the video is specifically about renewables. I have a feeling if he made one about nuclear he would be for it too.
I find it weird how many people protest clean nuclear, almost like they don’t understand it.
My eyes are really widened for the use of renewables though now after watching the video, so at least us who were mostly nuclear heads now see how good renewables have become at harvesting energy.
Hey, it’s the same guy who helped me understand how dishwashers work
Now I know without looking it’s Technology Connections
Update: yep
Best video of the year. On any channel.
Refreshingly fact based.
Amazing video
I normally love this guy’s videos, but this one just didn’t hit for me.
Now I fully agree with his stance and arguments. But it was just hammering in the same point over and over. I couldn’t get past a half hour.
And when he brought up fracking gas and using that as electricity source as a good thing when it is still a single use burn and done resource just like he has been arguing against gasoline for… He lost me.
Still a minor gripe but clearly electric vehicles are better than gas, and laying out the cost for installing solar panels vs gas for the car was eye opening.
He does bring up that natural gas is still a single use fuel. His argument was that it’s better than oil because it’s domestic, not better than solar and batteries. Also you missed the political call out of you only watched half an hour.
