CA is closing down its last nuclear plant with no plan for alternatives ready

On a routine day, CAISO (California’s largest power grid) sources 10% of its power from nuclear and 50% from solar (roughly, per electricitymap.org). California is adding an enormous amount of stationary storage over the next 3 years [1] (which was a contributing factor in Tesla building a Megapack manufacturing facility in the state), and continues to add renewables. In the short term, there will be a bump in emissions when natural gas steps in where renewables can’t once this last bit of nuclear is decommissioned, but with storage and solar hitting a new record low cost [2] [3], it’s clear what the path forward is. It also helps when the price of natural gas spikes, as it makes renewables and storage more cost competitive.

The author of the post is a “senior nuclear energy analyst”, and from The Breakthrough Institute’s about page: “ Since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident, Breakthrough's energy work has focused heavily on the future of nuclear energy. Along with a growing cohort of scientists, journalists, philanthropists, and environmentalists, we have made the case that addressing climate change will require abundant, cheap, safe, and reliable nuclear energy. Toward that end, Breakthrough has been a leading advocate for innovation in advanced nuclear designs and business models.”

No bias at all /s

[1] https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-ne...

[2] https://www.pv-tech.org/nrel-cost-of-solar-energy-storage-in...

[3] https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80694.pdf

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