Renewable resources

Renewable sources of energy are not green and the nuclear industry should make a product beside electricity.

A few decades ago, some visionaries dreamed of an all-electric society. Today people convert about 35–40% of all primary fuel to electricity. The fraction will rise, but now even electricity enthusiasts (as I am) accept that finally not much more than half of all energy is likely to be electrified. Reasons include the impracticality of a generating system geared entirely to the instant consumption of energy and lack of amenability of many vehicles to reliance on electricity. Surrendering the vision of an all-electric society is a minor nuclear heresy.

In the USA and much of the rest of the world, including Canada, renewables mean dammed rivers. Almost 80% of so-called US renewable energy is hydro, and hydro generates about 60% of all Canada’s electricity.

The demand for electricity varies widely from hour to hour, day to day, and month to month. Electricity demand is typically highest during the daytime hours and lowest at night. It tends to be very high on unusually hot or unusually cold days and is lowest at night on mild spring and fall days. Demand typically reaches its highest levels during only a few hours each year. There is also a minimum “base” aggregate demand that is sustained through the entire year.

Electricity is the ultimate “just in time” manufacturing process, where supply must be produced to meet demand in real time.