China is “set up to hit grand slams,” longtime Chinese energy expert David Fishman told Fortune. “The U.S., at best, can get on base.”

  • P03 Locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    Whichever choice we make here, the other one is relegated to a limited, auxiliary role in generation, and can never reach its full potential.

    No, you didn’t. You were literally arguing for a binary choice.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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      3 days ago

      I literally explained that the economic incentives necessary to maximize the potential of one were completely opposite the incentives necessary for the other.

      Again: nuclear needs daytime loads driven to off-peak hours. The difference between maximum demand and minimum demand needs to be lowered as much as possible, because nuclear can’t be quickly ramped up and down to match demand. That means increasing overnight demand: Lowering off-peak pricing for large industrial consumers.

      Solar needs minimum night time demand, and maximum daytime demand. It needs to drive consumers to daytime hours. Raising prices for overnight consumption, reducing them during the day.

      The two require opposite, incompatible pricing strategies to maximize their efficiency potential.

      Whichever one we choose as a primary, we drive the other to an inefficient auxiliary role.