[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

As long as coal is being burned to generate power subsidizing solar is a waste of money.
Once the base load is covered with nuclear and other power sources that work at night then add more solar power generation to cover peak load.
Or cover the peak load with solar then replace the base load with nuclear.
The United States could build 25 or so AP1000 reactors and put a nice dent in coals market share of electricity production.

This makes no sense at all.
Unless it is because the sun does not shine all the time, like at night, so you cannot completely rely on solar alone.

The funny thing is though that electrical usage is at its highest when the sun shines, A/C use and such. If you have a split meter you pay more per kWh per day than night. So instead of a downside, the ability to produce power when it is needed most is an upside.
Unless there's more solar power than the grid can take, on a regular base. Which isn't the case at all, but if it ever comes to that, that will be the time to stop subsidizing. If the cost of PV panels have not fallen so much by then that subsidizing is no longer required anyway.

Solar will never be a 100% solution. So it will never be needed to stop subsidizing it for the sole reason of overproduction.