“TODAY in Iowa with 3,000 mw of wind at about a 30 percent cap factor we have the equivalent of 1.7ish of our nukes with more coming.”
Time for some math. 3000 MW is the peak output of the wind farms in IA now. Of course wind power typically operates at 25% or less of peak power. So figure 1000mw per year total output to be safe.
A typical nuke plant generates 1 gigawatt of power per year. That is 1000 times the amount of real power Iowa is producing today in wind power. Iowa’s wind farms have NOT replaced the equivelant of 1.7ish nuke power plants. They are about 1/1000th of one nuke plant. And for every windmill you build you must have a real power plant up and running to be able to jump in when the windmill isn’t turning. Imagine what 1,000,000 of the bird killing fans would be like?
A typical nuke plant generates 1 gigawatt of power per year. That is 1000 times the amount of real power Iowa is producing today in wind power. Iowa’s wind farms have NOT replaced the equivelant of 1.7ish nuke power plants. They are about 1/1000th of one nuke plant. And for every windmill you build you must have a real power plant up and running to be able to jump in when the windmill isn’t turning. Imagine what 1,000,000 of the bird killing fans would be like?
HOLD IT! You've made an error by a factor of 1000 against Wind power. 3000 mw of windpower at 33 percent power factor makes an instantanious power of "about" 1000mw which is EXACTLY THE SAME as a 1,000 mw nuke.
When you talk about energy per year, you need to measure in kWH or some multiplier. Watts is a measure of power without time. Watthour is a measurement of energy.
It may sound like simple semantics. But if this were automobiles, you would be measuring horsepower when you are talking about gallons of gasoline.
Watts and Watthour are not interchangeable.
All types of power plants have different capacity factors and must be included in comparisons.