Watching the NRC's response to hurricane Irene, we can get a hint of future responses and regulations in the future.
The NRC has informed a NJ nuke plant to power down if they experience winds greater than 85mph and a CT nuke plant to power down if they experience winds greater than 90mph. FL has a nuke plant called Turkey Point that is also on the coast that took a direct hit from hurricane Andrew in 1992 and there was minimal damage to the plant and zero damage to the reactor buildings.
I lived in Boynton Beach FL when Andrew came through. As a matter of fact, I waited tables at the Holiday Inn the entire time Andrew was tearing Homestead and Miami apart. The hotel was filled to capacity with retirees from nearby retirement homes and communities. We employees were stacked 8 to a room in order to provide for them. We worked and we worked hard.
Now back on topic. What would have happened if New Orleans relied on the "green" energy of the future when Katrina came through? Let's take a common sense guess, shall we?
Solar: if the solar panels had been in the New Orleans bowl, they would have been under water. They would have been severly damaged by the winds and debris whipping around. Repairs and replacement of those panels would have taken much longer and the restoration of power would have happened at a snail's pace. Prolonging an already horrific and preventable experience in human misery.
Wind turbines: on some wind turbines, if wind speeds exceed 50 mph, wind turbine blades stop down through a series of built in brakes, therefore no power. After a wind turbine has experienced winds exceeding its safe operating speed, that wind turbine has to be inspected by a team of engineers and a maintenance crew, thereby prolonging the loss of power. How long would it take for a wind farm to be brought back to full capacity? How long would it take to replace parts such as the blades and the turbines itself. Of course they are generally made overseas and the costs prevent a substantial stockpile of replacements.
In short, coal plant parts are readily available simply because there are so many of them. The engineers and maintenance crews are already familiar with these plants and need no further training.
This also goes for gas turbines and nuclear power plants.
Just something to mentally chew on for those that worship Al Gore.
Disclosure: I make my living working on nuclear steam turbines, coal powered steam turbines, and gas turbines. I am not a certified window washer for the solar power industry, nor am I on the Don Quixote maintenance crew.
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