Published on Monday, October 13, 2008
By Pasadena Star Staff Writer
Nuclear more reliable
It's hard to miss the bandwagon behind solar and wind power to solve our global warming and energy problems. Unfortunately, there is a penalty to be paid for these renewables. The reality is that there is a place in the electric grid for solar and wind, just as there is for hydroelectric and geothermal power. But alone, these alternate power sources do not provide the reliability necessary to prevent the possibility of interruptions in the nation's electric supply.
Even in our sunny deserts the whims of nature are such that the sun does not always shine nor does wind always blow. Also, if the wind blows it may not blow at a consistent speed to operate the generators efficiently. This is evident if you watch television clips of existing farms, or drive to the Palm Springs area. Many of the wind propellers are barely turning, and some not at all.
Engineers familiar with wind power also see where two contradictory patterns can occur
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