OT: The Californica "Paradise"

Actually many environmental groups want the plant to stay open as well:

Nuclear plants aren't that profitable with natural gas being so cheap right now, and they're more of a pain in the ass for lower return than utilities want to deal with

No more Christmas lights in the summer?

Cheers

I think it's the end of Californica as I once knew it... a garden paradise. ...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson | mens | | Analog Innovations | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

I'm looking for work... see my website.

The plan is for California to be 50% renewable power by 2030. The easiest way to boost the percentage of renewables is to REDUCE the amount of fossil fuel power generated. Isn't math wonderful?

Another problem is storage of the "surplus" solar power: We can produce plenty of power, but what if nobody is using it?

We hit close to 30% renewables (peak) on Tuesday, when we had a hot clear day. Not so great today:

What is that "double energy efficiency" BS? What is it supposed to mean? That everyone MUST use half the energy normally used and at TWICE the cost (inefficient wind and solar sources)?

Go to Nevada for a Pair 'o Dice..

If you redefine nuclear as non-renewable, and eliminate it too, the denominator gets even smaller.

Germany has the same problem.

Without economical storage, wind and solar are a system disaster.

Politicians and activists are terrible engineers.

The little utility in Truckee, TDPUD, gives away, practically forces, free LED Christmas lights, LED and CF light bulbs, and low-flow shower heads. The shower heads are excellent after you remove the flow restrictors.

No free toilets so far.

JT obsessively dislikes California for some reason. Must be jealous. Calls it "paradise" then trashes it for not being paradise. Why not rant about Alabama or New Jersey or Zimbabwe?

Or dry up in a bleak burb in Arizona.

That's likely. Let's see what the state has to offer: Hmmm... no mention of nuclear on any of the factoid sheets. Maybe here: Currently 9.2% nuclear and 21.9% renewables. Looks like nuclear is in the non-renewable class (assuming we ignore breeder reactors).

Maybe we just build nuclear plants in Mexico and buy the power? Just think of the savings in not having to comply with labor, safety, and operational regulations in Mexico.

I recall reading some 1950's sci-fi story where that was exactly the problem. Power was easy enough to generate, but without storage, it was useless. In theory, we could run transmission lines to the other side of the planet and exchange solar generated electricity as needed. Losses would be high, but still cheaper than wasting the surplus solar capacity.

"Germany had so much renewable energy on Sunday that it had to pay people to use electricity" I wouldn't mind having that "problem" (net metering).

Right. Dilbert for President. Perhaps the Union of Concerned Scientists might offer a presidential candidate? It's a good balance. The social activists are passing judgment on technical and engineering issues, while the concerned scientists are passing judgment on social issues. Extended to the logical extreme, this system insures that nothing works or is accomplished. I like it.

There's nothing "inefficient" about wind and solar electric generation. The y don't even cost twices as much as conventionally generated power - I thin k wind is now at break-even and solar isn't far behind. Getting consumers w ired in so that they only use electricity when it's cheap (for applications where it doesn't matter much when the job gets done) is a good deal easier than inventing yet another form of short term electricity storage.

We are far from over supply even within a timezone. Won't need that until the over supply is 10 to 20 times more. Currently, only industrial consume rs can take advantage of off-peak usage. Giving residential consumers that option would certainly help to shift their usage patterns.

Germany is just a small region.