17 replies to this topic

[Nvyseal]

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.

That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

Politicians in Washington have long known about the grid’s limitations but have made scant headway in solving them. They are reluctant to trample the prerogatives of state governments, which have traditionally exercised authority over the grid and have little incentive to push improvements that would benefit neighboring states.

Read more at The NY Times

[talker]

The local power companies such as The Southern Company (Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power) (and don't forget TVA which is where many local southern utilities buy power) are so involved with the making of money that they seem to forget about the spending in order to improve conditions (I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, it is called R&D). There is also a fault (blame) that falls to the consumer..."As long as the lights are on and the bill not too high, then I don't care if the power is from a coal fired steam plant." Perhaps wind turbines can offer "some" alternative solutions but the cost and the space required leaves this as a "niche" solution at best. There are also of course, solar, tidal, and nuclear among others. Of these, nuclear is probably the most viable, at least with our current level of technology. If we were to exert more time, effort, and money into the disposal problems of spent nuclear fuel then we could possibly find a massive availablity of clean electrical energy. Fossil fuels will one day run out. This is not speculation or conjecture. It will happen. Before the lights begin to dim, someone, us perhaps, needs to send a message to those that can change things, to stop placing priority on today's share price at Dow Jones and give some deep consideration as to what we will do tomorrow. Of course that "we" is not us but our children and grandchildren. If this problem is not solved, then the 3rd or 4th generation after ours may not have an energy problem. The dead need little electricity.....

[Camaro]

so eloquently put.

[m.oreilly]

Camaro, on Aug 27 2008, 07:47 PM, said:

so eloquently put.

you bet

hehe, i just had an idea...lunar solar fields: mylar cell blankets at the lunar equator...microwave transmission to distribution static earth orbit relay transmission satellites...dang, enip has the gooood stuff...

[Camaro]

hehe that should do it

[eniparadoxgma]

m.oreilly, on Aug 27 2008, 11:22 PM, said:

you bet

hehe, i just had an idea...lunar solar fields: mylar cell blankets at the lunar equator...microwave transmission to distribution static earth orbit relay transmission satellites...dang, enip has the gooood stuff...

[m.oreilly]

[hog]

Here in Quebec we produce electricity out of water Very effective and clean. And we get to sell a lot of it to Vermont and other neighbouring states, cause you U.S. guys can't think of better ways to make electricity like we do...and you don't have all the many rivers and lakes that we have...

[Nvyseal]

hog, on Aug 27 2008, 10:00 PM, said:

Here in Quebec we produce electricity out of water Very effective and clean. And we get to sell a lot of it to Vermont and other neighbouring states, cause you U.S. guys can't think of better ways to make electricity like we do...and you don't have all the many rivers and lakes that we have...

Actually, you guys stole that idea from us. Please see Hoover Dam

Quote

Completed in 1936, Hoover Dam generates more than 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to serve 1.3 million people.

[m.oreilly]

Quote

Completed in 1936, Hoover Dam generates more than 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to serve 1.3 million people.

i was completed some years later, but i do produce a large amount of natural gas. i like to contribute...

[Nvyseal]

m.oreilly, on Aug 27 2008, 10:31 PM, said:

i was completed some years later, but i do produce a large amount of natural gas. i like to contribute...

...and now we know why patty sleeps on the couch and the skunks are always at your porch

[m.oreilly]

Nvyseal, on Aug 27 2008, 10:34 PM, said:

...and now we know why patty sleeps on the couch and the skunks are always at your porch

[banj0]

hog, on Aug 28 2008, 01:00 AM, said:

...and you don't have all the many rivers and lakes that we have...

HAHA!

[hog]

LOL, ok you got me! Nothing else to say...

[VROSA]

In Brazil about 90% of energy is generated by rivers