Decarbonizing the electric sector: Combining renewable and nuclear energy using thermal storage

Paul Denholm, Jeffrey C. King, Charles F. Kutcher and Paul P.H. Wilson

Energy Policy, 2012, vol. 44, issue C, 301-311

Abstract: Both renewable and nuclear energy can provide significant contributions to decarbonizing the electric sector. However, a grid employing large amounts of wind and solar energy requires the balance of the system to be highly flexible to respond to the increased variability of the net load. This makes deployment of conventional nuclear power challenging both due to the technical challenges of plant cycling and economic limits of reduced capacity factor. In the United States nuclear power plants generally provide constant, base load power and are most economic when operated at constant power levels. Operating nuclear power plants in load-following modes decreases the plants' annual energy output and increases the levelized cost of energy, decreasing economic competitiveness.

Keywords: Renewable energy; Nuclear power; Energy storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:44:y:2012:i:c:p:301-311

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.01.055

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