In Switzerland today, a pumped hydro facility started operation

[NNadir]

11. Oh geeze. It gets stupider and stupider,

A modern nuclear plant generates primary energy.

An energy storage system wastes primary energy.

I have argued in this space for higher efficiency for nuclear plants using heat networks. It is, in fact, the challenge I offered my son as he begins his research.

Unfortunately, most of the posts I've written on this score involve a knowledge of science and thus is far out of the purview of anti-nukes.

The problem with anti-nukes is that when they're not reactionary, they're conservative. They believe that the technology that built the nuclear infrastructure is fixed in the 1960's technology utilized to build the nuclear plants they hate was fixed forever. They're examples of Churchill's quote (when he was a liberal) that a conservative is a person who believes nothing can be done the first time.

If anti-nukes would take their heads out their asses, they might recognize that this is 2022. The advances in materials science in particular, the key to utilizing high temperatures - and in fact the technology utilized in the combined cycle gas plants that make solar and wind energy's dependence on gas slightly less odious - is the key to high efficency.

The word "science" is not one they value however. It takes away from the value of their chanting in contempt of engineering which kind of mirrors their contempt for humanity.