Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by UncleEntity 1161 days ago
> The whole process is definitely not "carbon-free".

How do you think those windmill parts and solar panels get from the manufacturers to the end users?

I personally don’t see solar and wind able to provide enough energy to electrify an entire nation’s fleet of freight haulers. Nuclear, maybe — assuming they build a bunch of little plants so a truck can “refuel” in the middle Wyoming away from large populations.

Maybe Wyoming isn’t the best example as it’s always windy there but the point stands.

1 comments

I did address your first remark in the end of my comment:

> All those factors are usually brought up in detail for things like solar and wind plants. It's just disingenuous not to count them for nuclear power.

I did not talk about how much energy is provided or what to do about freight haulers.

I honestly believe that most of the carbon calculations come from the pro-renewable folks to promote whatever pet project they’re on about. Nobody seriously considering building a nuclear power plant is going to care about some “externalities” amortized over its 50-75 year lifetime.
> I honestly believe that most of the carbon calculations come from the pro-renewable folks to promote whatever pet project they’re on about.

Sounds like reflection to me, if anything.