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You Mean You Can’t Have Electric Everything And Not Run Out Of Power??

n2otoofast4u

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CLCookie

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Research TerraPower, no idea why our government can't do this. Smaller Nuclear Plants have to be in the future, IMHO.

Among the backers of this re-emerging technology is Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who has become an investor and philanthropist in a wide range of areas. Gates has invested more than $1 billion in TerraPower, a privately held start-up that is building small nuclear reactors. The billionaire sees nuclear energy as necessary for bridging the gap in renewable energy and told The New York Times, "If you care about climate, there are many, many locations around the world where nuclear has got to work." He also said he's not involved in TerraPower to make money, but "because we need to build a lot of these
 

Sharky

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Wonderful. . . . Gates struck a deal with Xcel Energy and another company. My utility provider is Xcel.

Guess that means Gates will make more $$ (or at least the investors of TerraPower & Xcel) and my rates will go up because the end user is the one that will actually end up paying for it.

I support the idea of nuclear but anything involving that prick Gates, I'm hesitant. That asshole has been a lying prick since the day he was born.
 

4Waters

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Wonderful. . . . Gates struck a deal with Xcel Energy and another company. My utility provider is Xcel.

Guess that means Gates will make more $$ (or at least the investors of TerraPower & Xcel) and my rates will go up because the end user is the one that will actually end up paying for it.

I support the idea of nuclear but anything involving that prick Gates, I'm hesitant. That asshole has been a lying prick since the day he was born.
The fucker created computer viruses so he could sell anti virus software
 

DarkHorseRacing

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I'm not surprised they are using molten salt reactors. Those things could be made small enough they could be placed in neighborhoods, and their risk of a coolant failure just results in a solid block of salt that is no longer liquid.

That's the new trend, rather than building large complex plants that the public doesn't like for knee jerk reasons. Go with smaller, easier to run, and manage these types of units.

I'd prefer these over solar plants that take up acres of space.
 

Taboma

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Currently there's over 30 key players in the Nuclear SMR reactors for up to 400 megawatts, with over 80 commercial designs currently under development.
These are supported by government initiatives in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, China, and Russia.
These include key players such as CNNC, Rolls Royce, GE, TerraPower and General Atomics.

Here's an extensive article if anybody is interested that digs into the market research, various hurdles and different design concepts.

 

monkeyswrench

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I'm not surprised they are using molten salt reactors. Those things could be made small enough they could be placed in neighborhoods, and their risk of a coolant failure just results in a solid block of salt that is no longer liquid.

That's the new trend, rather than building large complex plants that the public doesn't like for knee jerk reasons. Go with smaller, easier to run, and manage these types of units.

I'd prefer these over solar plants that take up acres of space.
Well, the risk of coolant failure would cause more than just some salt crystals. I think the following reactor meltdown would make people not as worried about the salt. I don't know if they've figured out how to rapidly shut down reactors :oops:
 

Dog

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In my mostly uneducated opinion. SMR is the future. From my understanding when they need "more power" they can connect more and more as the need arises.

The issues arise when trying to sell the technology to "other countries" it is a small leap to enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.

That is my understanding anyway.
 

Dog

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As far as solar, I don't think it is a viable solution. However I saw a meme about using large existing parking structure, or large buildings as a unused area to install the panels instead of open fields.
 

DarkHorseRacing

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In related news liberals are now in love with nuclear power plants.
No way. Not after the well publicised western reactor incidents that no MSM wants to acknowledge the root causes of. Or Chernobyl which was an accident waiting to happen due to Soviet methods of reactor design and management.

The liberal tree huggers will never again adopt nuclear as an option. They’d rather coat the country in solar panels and wind turbines than acknowledge nuclear if done right is done better.
 

Flying_Lavey

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Nuclear is the future period…..

Wind and solar are nothing more than graft and corruption.

Starve the beast and get to real sustainable prosperity.
I think Solar is good for residential use in the right situations. Not for everybody or the end-all solution. That's for sure.
As far as solar, I don't think it is a viable solution. However I saw a meme about using large existing parking structure, or large buildings as a unused area to install the panels instead of open fields.
I never understood that either. Structures and parking lots would benefit tremendously from the shade, the power wouldn't have to be transmitted as far, and it would greatly reduce the environmental impact of the large farms.

But the baseline, consistent power of Nuclear is 100% needed for basic grid function.

They want to still close down Diablo. How about decommissioning the traditional reactors and bring in a bunch of these smaller ones in the same campus? The infrastructure is there already, and then they can use the De-sal plant to feed water to the neighboring communities.
 

DarkHorseRacing

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This reminds me of the left doing their best to stop mining for decades until they realized where lithium comes from. And suddenly mining is ok.
Too bad we can't get something critical from petroleum for EV production, then maybe these same uptight liberals might allow some oil drilling, and since its petroleum, lets make some gas as a waste product to benefit the rest of us.
 

mesquito_creek

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I think Solar is good for residential use in the right situations. Not for everybody or the end-all solution. That's for sure.

I never understood that either. Structures and parking lots would benefit tremendously from the shade, the power wouldn't have to be transmitted as far, and it would greatly reduce the environmental impact of the large farms.

But the baseline, consistent power of Nuclear is 100% needed for basic grid function.

They want to still close down Diablo. How about decommissioning the traditional reactors and bring in a bunch of these smaller ones in the same campus? The infrastructure is there already, and then they can use the De-sal plant to feed water to the neighboring communities.
We need it all… the sun in the largest nuclear reactor we have. I have been running 100% of grid with solar on my vacation property (including 30000btu of AC) for almost 5 years without any problems. Distributed solar is the best way to make electricity.
 

DirtyWhiteDog

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I don't understand why we can't come up with a small reactor plant that is built off of a standard plan. Keep it simple and mass produce
 

Flying_Lavey

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We need it all… the sun in the largest nuclear reactor we have. I have been running 100% of grid with solar on my vacation property (including 30000btu of AC) for almost 5 years without any problems. Distributed solar is the best way to make electricity.
A vacation house with 2-1/2 tons of A/C is hardly an accurate example of what most residential properties have to offer.
 

rrrr

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No way. Not after the well publicised western reactor incidents that no MSM wants to acknowledge the root causes of. Or Chernobyl which was an accident waiting to happen due to Soviet methods of reactor design and management.

The liberal tree huggers will never again adopt nuclear as an option. They’d rather coat the country in solar panels and wind turbines than acknowledge nuclear if done right is done better.
The analog and electrical/mechanical controls of the 20th Century operated by poorly trained technicians have been replaced by computerized digital controls and advanced construction standards that make a TMI/Chernobyl/Fukishima type accident so unlikely as to be close to impossible. Regarding Fukishima, there will never be another new nuclear power plant built on an ocean shore in an earthquake zone.

The same alarmism from the left liberal environmental organizations should be irrelevant. What's interesting is will a Democratic administration and Congress face reality and back new nuclear construction? This country cannot produce enough electricity with wind and solar to support the inevitable future growth of the economy. That's a fact.
 

Kenboat

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Small nukes still require security to keep bad guys out, the near me Davis Besse has a 40 man police force. Worked on and around nukes and NRC makes it a very slow and difficult process.
Wonder how effective small nukes such as used on Navy ships would be if converted to land based use?
With the growth of AI, the nukes we will be needed to feed the data centers and not even help with general power needs.
I guess in 10 years we will have chips that are 10 times faster and use 10% of the energy the current and the cooling loads and power needs will be less.
 

mesquito_creek

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A vacation house with 2-1/2 tons of A/C is hardly an accurate example of what most residential properties have to offer.
You have to scale accordingly for personal energy independence… doesn’t change the fact that it’s pretty easy with solar. Location, elevation and environment all play a part. It would be harder in Phoenix, which is why in said we need it all I.e nuke, nat gas, wind….
 

Romans9

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You have to scale accordingly for personal energy independence… doesn’t change the fact that it’s pretty easy with solar. Location, elevation and environment all play a part. It would be harder in Phoenix, which is why in said we need it all I.e nuke, nat gas, wind….

Solar and wind are both subsidized by taxpayers.

Solar has a small and very limited application if it has to stand on its own.

Wind is a complete scam designed to enrich politicians and their cronies, nothing more.

To even include wind in the discussion is obscene.
 

mesquito_creek

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Solar and wind are both subsidized by taxpayers.

Solar has a small and very limited application if it has to stand on its own.

Wind is a complete scam designed to enrich politicians and their cronies, nothing more.

To even include wind in the discussion is obscene.
All energy is subsidized in some way… we need it all. Solar is for all practicality the only thing that can stand alone. I agree that wind is the least desirable.

The distribution and distribution infrastructure is where the electric company makes its money. They don’t particularly care how or where is generated, beside the fact that they protect their complete vertically integrated assets with help from “politicians and their cronies”.
 

Flying_Lavey

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Small nukes still require security to keep bad guys out, the near me Davis Besse has a 40 man police force. Worked on and around nukes and NRC makes it a very slow and difficult process.
Wonder how effective small nukes such as used on Navy ships would be if converted to land based use?
With the growth of AI, the nukes we will be needed to feed the data centers and not even help with general power needs.
I guess in 10 years we will have chips that are 10 times faster and use 10% of the energy the current and the cooling loads and power needs will be less.
We are doing some work on some of Google's chillers for one of their quantum computer centers. The staff and power draw for that building is CRAZY for what it is and its size.
 

OCMerrill

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My son is hard at it as a physics major. Couple more years and he will graduate and then enter a master's program in Nuclear Physics.
He wants to be part of all the small local power plants that will eventually obsolete plants like Three Mile Island which is scheduled to start sometime in 2028.

I have a question though...What happens to the worlds population when AI is fully operational? Where do people work?

I had an issue with my Costco Citibank Visa and the was NO PATH TO EVEN GET HUMAN HELP.
All AI is designed to do is eliminate people and make companies wealthier.
 

rrrr

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My son is hard at it as a physics major. Couple more years and he will graduate and then enter a master's program in Nuclear Physics.

All AI is designed to do is eliminate people and make companies wealthier.
Good for him. Nuclear physics is a fascinating area of science. I wish I had pursued more math and chemistry knowledge in those years long ago, my understanding of that world is limited by my ignorance.

At the end of the day, AI is about improving productivity, which is the only way an economy advances. Those companies that benefit will also be contributing billions in wealth to the 401Ks of millions of ordinary people.

The textile industry, railroads, heavy manufacturing, and literally dozens of huge enterprises that now contribute little to economic growth made America wealthy. New centers of opportunity and undiscovered technologies will do the same.

The biggest threat to prosperity right now is the unchecked power of the federal government, deficit spending, and the fact that over 50% of the population in this country is receiving some kind of payment from that government. It has destroyed the lives of millions. Harris and the left promise to increase that cancer by proposals to give first time home buyers $25,000, forgiveable loans to "black entrepreneurs," increases in the EITC, free child care, government takeover of healthcare, and dozens of other programs that will result in the destruction of the economy and bankrupt the nation.
 

Taboma

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A vacation house with 2-1/2 tons of A/C is hardly an accurate example of what most residential properties have to offer.
Well our home is 3700sf, 100% electric, 5T 2-stg, 3 zone heat pump main, with a 1.5T for one large upstairs bedroom. We're located in No Co Inland San Diego above Lake Hodges.
We installed 6KW grid-tied solar and two hydronic panels for solar water heating when we built the home in 2010 and during those 14 years haven't owed SDG&E anything at True Up.
Might not work for everybody, but we're sure pleased. 👍
 

Sleek-Jet

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Research TerraPower, no idea why our government can't do this. Smaller Nuclear Plants have to be in the future, IMHO.

Among the backers of this re-emerging technology is Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who has become an investor and philanthropist in a wide range of areas. Gates has invested more than $1 billion in TerraPower, a privately held start-up that is building small nuclear reactors. The billionaire sees nuclear energy as necessary for bridging the gap in renewable energy and told The New York Times, "If you care about climate, there are many, many locations around the world where nuclear has got to work." He also said he's not involved in TerraPower to make money, but "because we need to build a lot of these

Why would the US Federal Govt need to build nuclear power plants? That's what private equity is for.
 

Flying_Lavey

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Well our home is 3700sf, 100% electric, 5T 2-stg, 3 zone heat pump main, with a 1.5T for one large upstairs bedroom. We're located in No Co Inland San Diego above Lake Hodges.
We installed 6KW grid-tied solar and two hydronic panels for solar water heating when we built the home in 2010 and during those 14 years haven't owed SDG&E anything at True Up.
Might not work for everybody, but we're sure pleased. 👍
Your key there..... grid tied. You'd be hard pressed to produce enough power and have enough battery for the system to make sense with physical space and financially (unless there are enough subsidies for the money to align] now-a-days.
 

Taboma

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Your key there..... grid tied. You'd be hard pressed to produce enough power and have enough battery for the system to make sense with physical space and financially (unless there are enough subsidies for the money to align] now-a-days.
I agree completely, that's why our 40 acres in the AZ mountains has a power pole on one property corner. ;)
Batteries, especially in Havasu have cost me a mint over the years. In '95 when we got to Havasu I should have bought a battery store. 😂

Nope, don't want no stinkin batteries powering my house, or car for that matter, if I need backup, I'll fire up one of my gensets.
 

Gelcoater

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My son is hard at it as a physics major. Couple more years and he will graduate and then enter a master's program in Nuclear Physics.
He wants to be part of all the small local power plants that will eventually obsolete plants like Three Mile Island which is scheduled to start sometime in 2028.

I have a question though...What happens to the worlds population when AI is fully operational? Where do people work?

I had an issue with my Costco Citibank Visa and the was NO PATH TO EVEN GET HUMAN HELP.
All AI is designed to do is eliminate people and make companies wealthier.
If it eliminates all the people there won’t be anyone left to get wealthy.
 

mesquito_creek

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Your key there..... grid tied. You'd be hard pressed to produce enough power and have enough battery for the system to make sense with physical space and financially (unless there are enough subsidies for the money to align] now-a-days.
It’s not all or nothing and sometimes it makes sense to use the grid tie as your battery versus physical batteries. But to say it can’t be done is incorrect. With enough upside and money it can be done. Why people do it is also subjective. I do it because I can. I don’t have power outage and that feature cost me money.

I am still a fan off “all the above”. More power including nukes and keep drilling for oil. We need it all.
 

Taboma

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It’s not all or nothing and sometimes it makes sense to use the grid tie as your battery versus physical batteries. But to say it can’t be done is incorrect. With enough upside and money it can be done. Why people do it is also subjective. I do it because I can. I don’t have power outage and that feature cost me money.

I am still a fan off “all the above”. More power including nukes and keep drilling for oil. We need it all.
The one feature I would find beneficial with batteries would be the convenience of being able to have my solar energized during power outages.
Not being susceptible to power safety shutdowns means outages are a rather rare occurrence, making that feature hard to justify. At least until our current grandfathered plan expires, then we'll re-evaluate and explore the market.
 

TPC

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Don’t nuke subs have the best shut down feature? Different design from land based units?
 

OCMerrill

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If it eliminates all the people there won’t be anyone left to get wealthy.
AI wont ever be able to eliminate all the people but for those that need jobs like answering telephone calls, customer service I can say they will be eliminated sooner than later. AI will not build custom boats or replace / repair a condo but I can see a dwindling demand for people in general as this shit comes on line.

There was a show on Netflix, a series called the 100. AI took over the earth so now humans live in a massive spaceship orbiting the earth. If they come back to earth AI will figure out a way to kill them. I never finished the series so I haven't a clue where it at now.

Aside from business profit all its done so far is cause me to no longer make the call. Citibank sucks.
 

spectra3279

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And elon/nvidia ai is called collosus. From the movie "the forben project" another world dominating ai
 
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