I’ve done a few jobs in the tri-cities with snow and wind. And also when it was 112 degrees.
Speaking of solar - I did one job where they were installing a fairly large solar array panel (at Battelle) in order to charge up a new fleet of electric vehicles.
I have a picture of the 150’ x 150’ area of the solar panels. In the background is the nuclear plant!
I suppose as a backup the solar panels can at least keep some cars going in a big emergency. But it seemed like a huge waste of money and resources with that reactor just down the way.
I’m guessing the reactor puts as much watts out in a minute as the solar arrays would all day??
Yes, the solar array was put in a few years after I left PNNL but have seen it. I bet it’s a bigger ratio than that between it and the nuke plant — I know for sure that’s the case today! Had been meaning to look up the output of the PNNL array as well as the West Richland one.