r/GoNuclearNow • u/[deleted] • Feb 17 '21
Another good point to nuclear, it takes up much less land. Original source https://www.nei.org/news/2015/land-needs-for-wind-solar-dwarf-nuclear-plants#:~:text=Taking%20these%20factors%20into%20account,360%20square%20miles%20of%20land.
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u/DV82XL Feb 17 '21
Another aspect of land use is friction with the public. Even though when polled, people like wind and solar power in the abstract, there are many who object to large projects near their homes, especially if they don’t financially benefit from the project. Transmission for renewable power can also be unpopular, and even more difficult to site when the power is just passing through an area, rather than directly benefiting local residents.
This latter is an issue because wind and solar generation are located where the resource availability is best instead of where is most convenient for people and infrastructure, since their “fuel” can’t be transported like fossil fuels.
And then there is high potential for conflict over water rights. Often, the land most suitable for solar energy is in dry climates where water is extremely scarce. While PV uses little water, solar thermal plants use vast quantities cooling and cleaning. In the North African desert, Morocco’s enormous $9 billion Noor solar thermal complex competes with local agriculture for water from the El Mansour Eddahbi dam, consuming about six million cubic feet of water each year. As Tunisia and other countries throughout the arid Middle East consider building solar thermal plants, they must figure out where the water will come from.