What's needed is to know what % of the nuclear contribution was represented by the reactors retired. The question is whether eliminating nuclear will require ongoing coal production, at least in the crucial short and medium run. Waste is a separate issue.
I'd want to know the rate of decline compared to keeping nuclear. After all, it seems that matters are sufficiently urgent so that a substantial difference in the rate of decline would still make a case against abandoning the reactors.
That 60% of the nuclear capacity was replaced by renewables tells us little. That's 60% of the x% of the nuclear capacity removed. The relevant figure is whatever we get when x is replaced by some number, and this has to represent capacity, not number of plants. Note too that the remaining percentage may be much harder to eliminate except through the use of coal. Finally, what is the figure represented by something like the 40% of capacity that was NOT replaced by renewables? What's the increase in coal use?
...but no new plants doesn't mean no increase in coal use. As I understand it has indeed increased to some extent
That point is too general. Of course nuclear also liberates demand from fossil fuels - but like renewables, not for some important uses such as autos.
What's needed is to know what % of the nuclear contribution was represented by the reactors retired. The question is whether eliminating nuclear will require ongoing coal production, at least in the crucial short and medium run. Waste is a separate issue.
I'd want to know the rate of decline compared to keeping nuclear. After all, it seems that matters are sufficiently urgent so that a substantial difference in the rate of decline would still make a case against abandoning the reactors.
That 60% of the nuclear capacity was replaced by renewables tells us little. That's 60% of the x% of the nuclear capacity removed. The relevant figure is whatever we get when x is replaced by some number, and this has to represent capacity, not number of plants. Note too that the remaining percentage may be much harder to eliminate except through the use of coal. Finally, what is the figure represented by something like the 40% of capacity that was NOT replaced by renewables? What's the increase in coal use?