> couldn't even build them to meet the needs of the grid near unlimited money
France did, with very limited money.
> It would require more than halving the capital requirements to get close to break even with renweables
France - the cost of their nuclear build-out 50 years ago made nuclear about the same cost as solar/wind (7c/kWh)
> they cannot touch fossil plants
Of course fossil plants get shut down if there is political will. (Yes France has barely any anymore, and the same goes for a number of other countries)
> much lower capital requirements
If you don't count the grid enhancement and the batteries needed for Dunkelflaute.