There are a few problems with “Mathematical conundrum” (Aug. 17), Mark Henry’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant vs. solar power critique.
He proceeds from the premise that when Diablo Canyon shuts down, all power now generated by the plant must be replaced only by solar panels. The renewable energy vision laid out by the state of California includes solar—utility-scale and rooftop—wind, water, biomass, hydro, and geothermal, along with energy efficiency and conservation.
He admits that the figures he uses on the cost of solar are out of date, drawn from a 2012 study. The cost of solar has declined about 60 percent in the last five years.
From his doubly false premise, he concludes, in a hail of exclamation points, that replacing Diablo’s power with nothing but solar panels, if this were 2012, would cost $55 billion.
The ultimate reality check on his calculations should be the mounting evidence that the seismic potential of earthquake faults around the Diablo Canyon plant exceeds its ability to withstand a major quake, and the fact that cleanup costs for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster are now estimated at $180 billion—no exclamation points required—an expenditure that will produce not a single watt of energy.
Fukushima Prefecture has committed to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040, via a mix of the energy sources cited above. So should we.
#Readyfor100.
Andrew Christie
Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club director
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 10, 2017.
I wouldn’t trust anything written by a member of the Sierra Club. Let sound engineering, energy development, and true economics make the decision. Radicalism has no place here.
https://www.thebreakthrough.org/images/Death_of_Environmentalism.pdf
It’s for illustration – you’re correct of course that we won’t use only solar to replace Diablo canyon. In fact, our state already has TOO MUCH solar. We have to pay AZ to take it in the spring. And we have to back down all other dispatchable resources to make room, which actually causes more pollution (gas plants are less efficient when ramping up and down the whole time). And the real trouble starts when we start getting rid of non-emitting sources (like Diablo and many other hydro plants) to “make room” for more renewables. Do you see the trouble? With Diablo gone, and no solar at night, that means the difference actually HAS TO be made up with gas. And emissions actually go up.
Remember- the goal is REDUCE EMISSIONS! Not “go renewable”.