[kinofcain]

Interestingly the need for base load is going away as we increase the mix of renewables: plants that can't load follow are becoming less useful and more expensive to operate.

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California is being shut down in a few years mostly due to environmental concerns but also in part because it can't be spun up and down easily to adjust for the output of the state's increasing mix of fluctuating solar and wind production.

We're headed towards a mix that looks like almost entirely renewables and peakers, or maybe eventually renewables and storage, if things like the tesla battery installation work out.

[alex_hitchins]

Storage is the key. There are a lot of places where renewables aren't stable enough and storage just isn't achievable yet on the grid scale. Lots of exciting work in this area and it's interesting to see where things are heading however I think nuclear is underfunded and could have a much more positive role in our energy needs. Maybe it's the BNFL ad's as a kid imprinted in my mind.