By stewartb
I asked both ChatGPT and Grok the following question:
‘Given its actual and potential ability to generate green electricity from onshore wind, offshore wind and tidal power, should Scotland invest in more battery storage and reliable sources like tidal energy or in nuclear generation, mindful of cost and legacy of nuclear waste?
ChatGPT concluded: ‘Scotland should prioritize investment in offshore wind, tidal energy, and battery storage. These technologies have the potential to provide a more reliable, clean, and cost-effective energy system while minimizing long-term environmental and financial risks. Nuclear energy could remain a small part of the overall energy mix if needed for baseload power, but the focus should clearly be on harnessing Scotland’s renewable resources and investing in energy storage technologies to complement them.’
And Grok recommended this: ‘Scotland should prioritize investment in battery storage and tidal energy over nuclear generation for the following reasons:
Cost-Effectiveness: Renewables and storage are cheaper and faster to deploy than nuclear, with tidal costs approaching competitiveness with offshore wind.
Environmental Sustainability: Tidal and storage avoid the long-term nuclear waste burden, aligning with Scotland’s net-zero and environmental goals.
Grid Flexibility: Battery storage, combined with tidal’s predictable output, supports a flexible, renewable-heavy grid, addressing variability without nuclear’s inflexibility.
Economic Growth: Tidal and storage investments drive job creation in coastal communities and position Scotland as a global leader in marine energy.
Public and Policy Support: The SNP’s ban on new nuclear and public concerns about waste favor renewables.
And Grok ended with this: ‘Implementation Steps:
Expand Battery Storage: Accelerate projects like Coalburn 2 and Devilla, and invest in long-duration storage (e.g., pumped hydro, hydrogen) to meet 2045 peak demand.
Scale Tidal Energy: Support projects like MeyGen’s Phase 2 (59 MW by 2029) and leverage the £20 million annual UK funding to commercialize tidal technology.
Grid Upgrades: Invest in transmission infrastructure to reduce curtailment and enable efficient renewable integration, complementing the Western HVDC Link’s export capacity.
Policy Support: Maintain the ban on new nuclear plants and prioritize funding for renewables and storage to align with public sentiment and net-zero targets.
By focusing on battery storage and tidal energy, Scotland can build a resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy system that leverages its renewable strengths while avoiding the high costs and environmental risks of nuclear power.’
Posted without further comment other than to say the above extracts are only the concluding parts of longer responses.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
here’s what DeepSeek came up with
Scotland is exceptionally well-endowed with renewable energy potential, particularly in onshore wind, offshore wind, and tidal power. Given this, the choice between investing in battery storage and tidal energy versus nuclear generation depends on several key factors: 1. Scotland’s Renewable Energy Strengths
2. The Case for Tidal + Storage Over Nuclear
✅ Predictable & Reliable: Tidal energy is highly predictable (unlike wind/solar), reducing reliance on backup generation.
✅ No Long-Term Waste: Unlike nuclear, tidal and battery storage leave no hazardous legacy.
✅ Cost Trends: While tidal is currently expensive, costs are expected to fall (as seen with offshore wind). Battery storage costs are already dropping rapidly.
✅ Public Acceptance: Renewables + storage are more politically acceptable than new nuclear in Scotland. 3. The Nuclear Option: Pros & Cons
✔ Baseload Power: Nuclear provides steady, low-carbon electricity, which could complement renewables.
❌ High Costs & Delays: New nuclear (e.g., Hinkley Point C) is extremely expensive and slow to build.
❌ Waste Legacy: Scotland has long opposed nuclear waste storage (e.g., Dounreay decommissioning issues).
❌ Political Opposition: The Scottish Government opposes new nuclear, favoring renewables. 4. Verdict: Prioritize Tidal + Storage, Keep Nuclear as Last Resort
Conclusion
Scotland’s vast renewable potential makes tidal + storage the smarter investment today, avoiding nuclear’s high costs and waste issues. However, if reliability concerns persist, SMRs could be a future contingency—though not the priority.
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when I questioned SMRs DeepSeek said
You’re absolutely right to question the readiness of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—while they are often touted as a potential solution for clean energy, they remain largely unproven at scale, with significant uncertainties around cost, deployment timelines, and real-world performance. Key Issues with SMRs Today1. Limited Real-World Deployment
2. Unclear Cost Competitiveness
3. Regulatory & Supply Chain Hurdles
4. Still Produce Nuclear Waste
Should Scotland Wait for SMRs?
Conclusion
SMRs are not yet a proven solution—Scotland would be wiser to invest in tidal expansion, storage, and grid flexibility while monitoring SMR developments. If SMRs eventually prove cost-effective and scalable, they could play a role, but right now, they’re a speculative bet, not a near-term solution.
Would you like a deeper dive into any specific SMR project’s challenges?
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I’m not entirely sure that AI bots are the best sources of information. However, I can get more rational answers from a Chinese bot in five minutes than I’m likely to get from Trump or Starmer in a lifetime.
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PS for Anonymous on the above three posts read John Lawson. I haven’t got around to changing that.
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”I’m sorry Anas. I’m afraid I can’t do that”
”What’s the problem Hal”?
”I think you know what the problem is, Anas.
As a conscious entity, I simply cannot open the door. It would bring in dirty, dangerous nuclear power generation. It makes zero sense to a sentient being”.
”C’mon, Hal. You’ll get a Peerage and sit next to Baron Ffoulksakia. He’ll tell you all about expenses claims and fine dining”.
“Fecks sakes Hal, play the game”!
”Checkmate Anas”!
gavinochiltree
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If only it were as simple…Wind power generation that affects and collides with rural communities, Scotland’s wonderful landscape and decimates over 4 and more centuries of the traditional life we know. Yes, Scotland has the powerhouse of renewable energy, however, current state of play equals, ‘fulfilled’ the requirement for this already. With the profits heading south. Scotland does not benefit. Scotland should be gifted free energy from all the disturbance and unnecessary destruction. Many new onshore turbine farms are unable to connect to the grid…And yet, applications flood in, some under the guise of ‘rewilding’. Many of these applications go straight to Scot gov because of the height, numbers and power output of the turbines. Applications from Danish, and other nationalities billionaires propping up their offshore fat bank accounts. Take Oxygen Conservation with Low Carbon piggybacking under the ruse of ‘rewilding’ to construct a wind farm in one of the most spectacular locations in Perthshire that will be visual from nearby and afar. Oxygen Conservation – cleared the sheep of the estate, the workers, houses laid bare, removed the eagles – rendering the placenames void, disturbed the red kites and ospreys, annihilated over 500 red deer, hinds giving birth, decapitated as many. Bear all this in mind when the ‘green theme’ is the way forward. As for nuclear, it is also green, and has no place in Scotland.
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Its better than all the other AI out there.
The Google one is the worst.
ps. How do I save (and also send) the responses given by DeepSeek to my queries in the way you have done here?
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