obvious Child

Oh I realize that. It's one of the last great problems of electricity we have yet to solve.

As I understand, most hydroelectric plants aren't used constantly. The bonnie ville locks and dams on the Columbia is only used when the corp of engineers gets a call. Otherwise they are essentially sitting on potential energy. If we could simply harness that energy 24/7 instead of when we need it, that could go a long way, especially since we have thousands of dams across the nation.

And we should use nuclear. Nothing short of fusion is going to solve the problem by itself. Therefore we'll need a large basket of power sources.
Also, are nuclear plants being run constantly?

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UtahBill

Fusion isn't likely to work for another 50 years....
Nukes are run flat out all the time, shutting down only for required maintenance. Most utilities have a mix of power sources, and running nukes 100% saves on buying coal, NG, etc. for the other plants.
I was under the impression that hydro plants are run the same....flat out, as long as they have the water behind the dams to do it...

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Each generation should have more opportunities than the last, but not at the expense of the next.

WI Crippler

I just like his name.

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obvious Child

Well we need to get started.

That's what I thought, but largely due to the problems of shutting it down and starting it back up again. It's easier to simply just leave it running.

Nope. Well, not on the Columbia at least. Hoover may simply due to the demand from Las Vegas aside from when it is releasing sediment for the wildlife.

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No, cops cannot threaten to rape and murder your family during interrogations.

UtahBill

I think they started 40 years ago....

__________________
Education is expensive, ignorance is costly.

Each generation should have more opportunities than the last, but not at the expense of the next.

obvious Child

I heard that someone produced a nanosecond of cold fusion in a lab. Any word on that?

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No, cops cannot threaten to rape and murder your family during interrogations.

DeeJayH

my brother told me he heard on the boob tube that Pickens is recommending Gore to be Energy Czar?
say it ain't so
please

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UtahBill

There is more reliable energy to be had from cow farts.....

__________________
Education is expensive, ignorance is costly.

Each generation should have more opportunities than the last, but not at the expense of the next.