Re: How Africa's desert sun can bring Europe power

Why would Egypt want expensive electricity ? I didn't see anything saying
the power generated would be cheaper than from conventional sources.

Good point! The article suggests that the cost of the intermittent
electricity from the solar plant would be at least twice the cost of
continuous power from fossil or nuclear plants. Given the tendency of
proponents to muddy the waters about retail price & wholesale costs,
this solar could be as much as 10 times the cost of fossil/nuclear.

But if the European taxpayers footed the capital cost of the solar
plant (as a pilot project, say), the electricity from a "free" plant
might be cost competitive in Egypt. Still does not deal with solar's
intermittency problem.

It would be great if solar power were feasible! But the best solar
can do today is be competitive in some very limited niches. That is
not going to be changed by mandates & subsidies (which are not
sustainable). It needs technological breakthroughs, and maybe some
changes of attitude too -- quit trying to pretend that intermittent
solar can replace continuous fossil & nuclear; instead use solar
where it makes sense. I like Mr. Mook's idea of using solar to drive
the production of liquid transportation fuels from coal.

But with the technology we have today, anyone who is concerned about
alleged anthropogenic global warming or about peak oil has to put
nuclear power on top of the list of practical alternatives.
.

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