Renewable energy is a good idea but not the total answer to energy and climate concerns. Renewable energy is intermittent, unreliable. This cannot be argued.
There are so many details that have to be considered to have what so many think is the answer to so many power problems. There are so many facets to creating and delivering power. What is most available, what is clean, what isn’t, where is it, and how can it be delivered to specified locations? Current transmission systems are not set up for the huge growing need/demand for electricity. It’s going to take a lot of time, money, difficulties to overcome, agreements to make, physics, environmental issues, health issues, safety issues, on and on to establish a hope, a dream that will not be easy to accomplish and take a long time to realize.
Power is not just produced then sent out without a huge amount of planning. Wherever the power is to be delivered, the frequency, the voltage, needs to be determined and equal with the direction and location the power is being directed.
In the case of renewable energy, the infrastructure does not have longevity. Much of the aging structures have to be replaced in a few years, creating huge landfills and hazardous waste dumps. Nothing about creating and maintaining power sources is easy, or without many difficult and complicated issues to overcome.
There’s no reason to close Diablo Canyon other than the fossil fuel industry wants the whole pie—not just a portion of the revenue for supplying power. It’s a clear dichotomy to want to shut down a proven 24/7 supply of clean energy and replace it with unclean energy, when the issue is to supply as much clean energy as possible to correct the climate concerns.
With all that said, there will be more emissions created to establish this huge energy endeavor than can be avoided.
Ellie Ripley
Arroyo Grande
