re: #111 thedopefishlives

No, the biggest problem with green energy is the inherent fluctuations in the energy source. It’s very difficult to provide a stable, controllable power grid when clouds or a windless day - things that are beyond your control - can completely slaughter your capacity.

Not necessarily:

Windbaggers and climate deniers like to say that renewables are “intermittent, unreliable power”. But, when large power plants like nukes trip offline, they very often do so instantaneously, presenting a real challenge to electric grids. By contrast, when winds calm, wind power generally slows predictably, allowing system operators hours to adjust and shift loads.

Coal/gas power plants have their own problems with “intermittancy”:

At least one North Texas power plant has had to reduce how much it generates because the water level in its cooling reservoir has fallen significantly, said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.