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Someone suggested pumping water back up during the off peak hours....
It would actually take more power than would be made...this is very inefficient.
Not all dams are the "holding water type"....many are roller dams that allow most of the water to continue to flow down a river and only bring what is useable into a forebay that flows through the turbines and then on downstream. There is a lot less initial environmental impact in this sort of dam. (no flooding out thousands of homes)
The largest hurdle facing large scale power changes, whether they be nuclear, renweable or conventional is the NIMBY issue. people want them built, but always "somwhere else". I live in a state that produces a lot more power than it's population uses, and we have and are putting in more windmills, have several high power dams (flaming gorge, fontenelle) as well as conventional power plants. They are bringing in a lot of money to the state. Even then, we have people that do not want them built, but they still seem to want the power.....
People even complain about the noise of windmills (noise polution) and that they might injure or kill birds and bats.
Basically, something has got to give someplace....
Any one item is not the answer...it is going to have to be a combination of them all.
Jim
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