[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Nuclear has yet to have a solution for waste storage -- how much money have we invested to date?

This is incorrect. There are actually a number of perfectly workable solutions, from the simple Oklo-type solution of burying it in the right kind of rock formation (demonstrated safe with 1.5 billion years of real-world testing :-)) to reprocessing the "wastes" and using them to generate more electricity.

What we haven't solved is the problem with dealing with the reflexive "omigawd we're all gonna die" anti-nuclear diehard, and that's because their opposition is not based on facts or reasoning, but is essentially religious.

What is wrong with diversifying? If we can get 33% of our power from wind in South Dakota alone (or 66% if we double our efficiency), and if we can get 100% from solar in 10% of Nevada...

There's nothing wrong with diversifying, per se. Indeed, isn't that exactly what some of us are urging you to do, diversify your options to include nuclear? But with your suggestions in particular, the things that might be wrong are A) capital cost; B) reliability; and C) environmental consequences.

Just for an example of that last, I spent the past weekend hiking in an area (the Toiyabe Range) that's covered by that big yellow spot that you want to cover with solar power plants. In addition to some pretty rugged mountains, there's an ecosystem there - elk & bighorn sheep, fish in the streams, trees and flowers and all that sort of thing. What happens to it when the area gets covered by solar cells?

I would think that wind would be a good possibility for Saskatchewan, similar to the upper midwest of the USA and to Denmark.

Which brings up a question: what happens to the blades of a wind turbine in icing conditions? I know what happens to an airplane: if you don't have deicing equipment, you crash. Turbine blades aren't all that different from airplane wings.

Now given that icing conditions aren't all that uncommon on the plains of Sasketchewan, or the Dakotas, it might be a good idea to find out. I suppose you could just turn them all off in winter storms, but isn't that just when a lot of people are going to be wanting power?