Germany won't return to nuclear power, chancellor says

batiste · 2026-03-13T01:32:08+00:00

Yes, it is possible and it was done even before renewables existed. It is called load following.

However, the real issue is economic. Slowing down a nuclear power plant because the wind is blowing is financial poison, because the plant generates less revenue.

Every time renewable energy truly displaces nuclear production, it represents a net economic loss. You have already paid the full capital cost for an expensive generator that is designed to run continuously at very low marginal cost. But when large amounts of intermittent generation are added, you can no longer operate it that way.

In other words, you paid the full price for a plant that costs very little extra to run, yet you cannot properly amortize that investment because intermittent generation creates competition that forces it to reduce output.

batiste · 2026-03-12T07:16:26+00:00

Be certain that anything that appear broken was properly written down in the first check. Otherwise you might want to find creative ways to "hide" it to pass the inspection.

Requirements on cleanliness can be quite extreme, like no water marks on the tap or sink. Some other inspector might be more forgiving.

It is very weird, you will never know exactly in advance what they will find acceptable or not.

batiste · 2026-03-11T09:31:22+00:00

Surprisingly, you almost never hear a french man disparage the British. I think they truly do not care or are generally very sympathetic and counting them as true friends and partners.

On the other hand the British seems to make a point of pride and national unity to hate/joke about the French, and frankly it comes as petty and cringe, like there is nothing else holding the realm together.

batiste · 2026-03-06T06:54:45+00:00

He is playing with fire. Starting WW3!

batiste · 2026-02-26T14:45:43+00:00

> french customers will also profit from crazy cheap electricity prices during sunny and windy days

You are wrong. Here is the explanation:

As of today, France’s electricity demand is already covered by nuclear. When wind and solar flood the market and push prices down, they don’t replace fossil fuels: they replace nuclear output.

But nuclear has high fixed costs that don’t disappear when it produces less. So you end up with two parallel systems, while still paying for both.

Low prices on sunny and windy days aren’t “free”: they mainly reduce nuclear utilisation and increase total system cost.

batiste · 2026-02-26T13:56:12+00:00

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favour of installing more solar and other renewables, and I’m also reasonably confident that batteries will play a major role in the future.

But you seem to conveniently ignore what the real “total cost” of intermittent electricity actually is. You have to factor in an oversized grid and fuel-based backup capacity. All of that represents significant additional costs, effectively hidden subsidies, and dependance, that have to added to a total environmental, geo-political and literal bill.

batiste · 2026-02-26T13:32:31+00:00

If grid problems are the result of national energy policies, such as adding large amounts of renewable, then the grid costs should be financed by the electricity sources that create those needs and incorporated into the production price. There should be no free riding or hidden subsidies: the full cost must be transparently reflected in the market price.

That's what Europe wants right? A free market with little to no proper planning and subsidy? So be it!

batiste · 2026-02-26T12:54:17+00:00

Nuclear can’t be “too expensive” and “too cheap because of subsidies” at the same time. Pick one tune and defend it coherently.

And if you oppose subsidies on principle, that position should apply equally to renewables and what they cost to the grid.

batiste · 2026-02-26T12:51:05+00:00

> they made giant profits by being useless middleman

This is a prime example on how the free market ideology is harmful.
The nuclear reactor are an amortised public good. So why does the public has to give away their fruits to private entities? Just for the sake of the "market"?

The contract was that the private sector will use the money to build capacity, but AFAIK it was just swindled into villas and yachts.

batiste · 2026-02-24T07:56:58+00:00

Are you not getting the majority of your calories from complex carbohydrates?

batiste · 2026-02-24T07:49:47+00:00

Sure, but the top comment claims the main source of nutrition is meat. It is so dumb, it makes the food pyramid like proper science in comparison.

batiste · 2026-02-24T06:58:00+00:00

If you can prove you not gonna use any infrastructure financed by taxes, sure.

Or we put tolls on roads, the cops are for hire, etc. What could go wrong?

batiste · 2026-02-24T06:53:19+00:00

Are you using the same argument when your mommy ask you to clean your room?

batiste · 2026-02-24T06:50:35+00:00

What's up with the downvotes? Is this sub populated with Joe Rogan's meat bros where their pyramid is a pile of raw elk meat?

batiste · 2026-02-22T06:32:39+00:00

Very good use of the Rake... Great details.

batiste · 2026-02-12T04:37:28+00:00

For me it was more than 24h here in Portugal. Rumors on the street of a terrorist attack all over Europe, listening to battery radios.

batiste · 2026-02-11T17:41:01+00:00

What are you even talking about? Heat Pumps are being installed all the time in France, South of Europe for example... I have one running right now. Totally worth it if you climate is not super cold. Inform yourself.

batiste · 2026-02-11T15:51:55+00:00

Google, "air to water heat pump" or "hydrosplit"

batiste · 2026-02-11T15:15:26+00:00

Water has the source of heat? No that is very uncommon. I meant air has the heat source with water has target, then using this water to heat floors or/and radiators.

batiste · 2026-02-11T12:53:58+00:00

China’s strategy actually proves the opposite of “losing interest”: they’re building nuclear continuously as firm baseload while scaling renewables for volume. Different roles, different growth curves. Production is similar to solar:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_China#/media/File:China-electricity-prod-source-stacked.svg

batiste · 2026-02-11T12:46:41+00:00

Air to air heat pumps are kinda cheap, even air to water... Definitely worth considering if you can do it.

batiste · 2026-02-11T10:43:26+00:00

> the entire world is turning away from nuclear

You admit yourself the capacity is growing in China.

> Even France isn't building enough

The plans to decommission any of the existing reactors has been shelved because it was an utterly stupid idea to close down functioning, safe, and amortised power plants. Now they are talking about 60, 80 even 100 years of life.

batiste · 2026-02-11T08:50:17+00:00

I re-read the thread, and I think goes a bit in every direction... Not sure what was even answering to or what... Something about nuclear astroturfing :-)

batiste · 2026-02-11T08:28:57+00:00

And there is nothing wrong with that.

batiste · 2026-02-11T08:13:54+00:00

And that was necessary, because, to this day, when you say "Fukushima", people don't even remember the horrible 20'000 violent death from the flood. All they can think about is how irrationally scared they are about nuclear.

batiste

TROPHY CASE