"Brian Lawson" wrote in message
...
, the need for rapid and multitudinous
changes of power required over the course of any 24 hour period
(sometimes as high as 1500 change-orders per shift) and which nuclear
plants at present are not able to modulate. This last item is what
I'm writing about.

That is not true. Nuclear reactors can modulate their output perfectly
well. In fact, a pressurized water reactor (that is the most common type of
reactor) changes power nearly automatically to match demand because of its
negative temperature coefficient .

(Vaughn gets a far away look in his eyes) Back in my nuclear reactor
operator days, I could watch power vary from (say) 10% to well over 50% and not
touch a single control. Larger power changes just took a little bump of the
control rod position.

Commercial nuclear reactors are operated near their full power capacity for
economic reasons, not because they are not capable of being modulated.

Vaughn