logoalt Hacker News

jacklbktoday at 8:30 AM1 replyview on HN

> switch completely to renewables (solar, maybe wind), EVs, green hydrogen/ammonia and synthetic fuels

You think other countries can't restrict those things? Restricting components related to those things will work just fine.

By the way, you can never switch completely to just renewables, it doesn't scale that well. They are simply too inefficient, unsecure, to "switch completely" in a country scale. Maybe just your house or some districts. You still need coal/gas/nuclear to maintain the power grid.

Oil is needed for many components inside stuff you mentioned. Oil is a must in military. If you want clean, abundant, cheap, secure energy, invest in nuclear.

Everything has tradeoffs. Diversify it.


Replies

surgical_firetoday at 9:48 AM

> You think other countries can't restrict those things? Restricting components related to those things will work just fine.

Eh, once you have built your grid in solar and wind, you don't really depend on the countries that sold solar panels and wind turbines for you. Those last for a long time, long enjoy that you can even spin up manufacturing yourself; it's not really something inscrutable.

There may be an argument that depending on the state of the world that raw materials to manufacture some of those things may become more complicated to access, but that is true even for countries that currently make those.

> If you want clean, abundant, cheap, secure energy, invest in nuclear.

Absolutely, yes.

Energy should be abundant and diversified.