For almost a century the American utility paradigm was one of building large, base-loaded central generation. As a result coal and nuclear now provide over half of U.S. electric energy.
For almost a century the American utility paradigm was one of building large, base-loaded central generation. As a result coal and nuclear now provide over half of U.S. electric energy. But renewable generation, wind and solar, is growing at an exponential rate and intermittent resources don't play well with slow/non-rampable generation. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects a flat to slow growth of nuclear over the next 30 years, depending on gas prices. But they most probably haven't taken into consideration the increasing need for grid flexibility that nuclear can't provide
Then there are the environmental and safety issues surrounding both coal and nuclear and the falling natural gas prices…
About the Author
Paul Mauldin
Contributing Editor
Paul Mauldin has worked in the energy industry for more than 25 years, developing and implementing advanced energy technologies. As research director for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., he pioneered methodologies used in the design, maintenance and control of energy delivery systems. As a consultant, he has provided guidance to utilities and the vendor community, nationally and internationally. Mauldin holds BSEE and MSEE degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and is a registered professional engineer.
