> This means you cannot free-market renewables unless with massive subsidies, or with artificially created market rules (like the current 'merit order' in the EU, which stifles coal and gas but nuclear too in an unfair manner)
There is no merit order in the EU, it is simply marginal price. The marginal cost for an added kWh of solar is zero, for wind it is about zero, only an extra hour of wear, for gas it is quite expensive, nuclear power plants might need to pay for someone to take the energy because they can not ramp fast enough.
> The local Wikipedia says nuclear ramps up or down at 5%/min. This is faster than any other method of generation.
How is paying extra to ramp at 5%/min once a day "faster than" being able to switch off in seconds and back on in a minute like a wind turbine, or turn on and off in milliseconds as many times as you like like a PV inverter or even stopping starting in minutes like a reciprocating or OCGT peaker or ramping 0-100% in minutes repeatedly like hydro?
There is no merit order in the EU, it is simply marginal price. The marginal cost for an added kWh of solar is zero, for wind it is about zero, only an extra hour of wear, for gas it is quite expensive, nuclear power plants might need to pay for someone to take the energy because they can not ramp fast enough.