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Our country needs cheap energy. Coal, nuclear, gas, and hydro provide it. And it's plentiful. There really is no such thing as "renewable energy." It cannot provide our needs, and if it ever can, it's far, far in the future. And you'd have to be willing to live with the eyesore of windmills and solar farms and all the real estate they require.
It's as if you dug a hole, climbed into it and haven't come out for 20-30 years.
Please - just understand ONE small set of facts....that is, the power generation installed in the USA - yes, our own country, in 2016. It looks like this:
"According to the latest issue of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) monthly Energy Infrastructure Update, renewable energy dominated new U.S. electrical generation put into service during 2016.
Combined, newly installed capacity from renewable sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) totaled 16,124-MW or 61.5 percent, surpassing that from natural gas (8,689-MW), nuclear power (1,270-MW), oil (58-MW) and coal (45-MW) combined.*"
Summary - TODAY - RIGHT NOW - THE MAJORITY OF ALL NEW GENERATION BEING INSTALLED IS RENEWABLES.....
And just those installed in 2016 are the equiv of about 8 nuke plants.
Please - try to catch up with reality. It's not far-far in the future and it's not Obama installing those GIGAWATTS. They are being bought by giant companies like Apple, Google and Facebook who insist on 100% renewable energy to power their server farms.
Are these companies foolish....and you brilliant? Think about it. Read. Then think more.
Yet for some reason, I was paying 10-12 cents a KWH back in 1990 and what I am paying today is - considering inflation - less or (in the worst places) the same.
This is truly amazing. It's like you've invented a perpetual motion machine. Somehow, you are saying that electricity generation which costs (wholesale) 6 cents a KWH in 1990...and 5-6 cents a KWH in 2017 means we are going backwards or somehow extracting this money from taxpayers.
While most everything in this country (churches, political parties, energy, manufacturing, you name it) in this country is subsidized, the real question becomes "how much" and "what is the result"?
Trump can tear up all the documents and accords he likes. The future is already here. I have friends with REALLY good jobs in renewables. A Solar PV installer can make 90-100K+ a year...compare that to a coal miner at 40-50K who dies young after needing disability and medicaid.
Which is best for this country?
Note - I have been in the Energy Industry all my life, including both renewables and non-renewables. I lived in WV where the strip mines were right over the hill and where everyone worked.
We needed and still need some fossil fuels as the bridge to the future. But there is no turning back now. Energy is infinite (in the Universe) and technology has solved many of the biggest problems with renewables.
The tide has turned. It's obvious when you look at the newly installed generation - 16 GW of renewables in 2016.
Yet for some reason, I was paying 10-12 cents a KWH back in 1990 and what I am paying today is - considering inflation - less or (in the worst places) the same.
This is truly amazing. It's like you've invented a perpetual motion machine. Somehow, you are saying that electricity generation which costs (wholesale) 6 cents a KWH in 1990...and 5-6 cents a KWH in 2017 means we are going backwards or somehow extracting this money from taxpayers..
What you are replying to was in reference to solar panels installed on a residential property. The feds chip in a 30% tax credit, from there it varies from state to state. If you are getting payback in 5 years the state incentives will be substantial. There is often state incentives that might be another 20% tax credit, there might also be a REC(renewable energy credit). This is sold to power distributors to meet mandates for renewable energy and passed onto the regular consumer. We aren't done yet though.... there may be no cost to the homeowner for being connected to grid if it's net metered, the cost of that infrastructure falls squarely on the other ratepayers. They also may be paid retail rates for excess electric, electric the utility can generate or buy themselves wholesale at a much lower cost. Again a cost that is passed onto to other ratepayers.
Last but not least the utility needs to maintain costly capacity to meet that homeowners requirements when their solar panels are making no electricity. A cost that falls onto the ratepayer.
I'll state it again, if these technologies are as cheap as you others are implying we can get rid of the subsidies, get rid of the mandates and this discussion about Trump leaving the accord is pointless because it's not needed to begin with.
Energy experts give Trump the hard truth: You can’t bring coal back
Coal wasn’t killed by a political “war” — cheap renewables and fracked gas were the culprits.
Cheap renewables? I've never heard of any, and you obviously have no intention of clueing me in.
At the very least the bleeding is going to stop. The plants that remain are newer and many of them could be in service for the next 50 years sans any government interference.
There is couple of things that need to change before new plants will be built in earnest. BTU for BTU coal has been about half the cost of natural gas since the natural gas boom started. Modern natural gas plants are less costly to build and much more efficient than traditional coal and natural gas plants which is what narrows that gap.
The same tech being used in modern natural gas plants that increase their effcicncy is being developed for coal, when that comes to market the cost comparisons change dramatically.
The other issue and much more tricky to alleviate is what future administrations and legislators will do. Without some kind of guarantee they will be able operate those plants it's a very risky investment in particular with the possibility of CO2 caps .
China hasn't backed off on anything, they over produced coal plants and they simply can't justify the same pace until their economy improves.
No it is not hence the reason the solar industry was crying about bankrupt without the extension of the tax credits. Even if it were cheaper watt for watt it cannot and will never replace coal. natural gas, hydro or nuclear.
Most of these anti-fossil fuel activists have no idea what they're talking about. They repeat "talking points" that are given to them, but they have little understanding or knowledge of the energy industry. They are self proclaimed "experts," fake "scientists" and people who just know how to write good propaganda pieces. In short, they are know-nothings.
Most of these anti-fossil fuel activists have no idea what they're talking about. They repeat "talking points" that are given to them, but they have little understanding or knowledge of the energy industry. They are self proclaimed "experts," fake "scientists" and people who just know how to write good propaganda pieces. In short, they are know-nothings.
I'm a professional engineer with 37 years of experience in the electric utility industry. I also was qualified chief engineer for naval nuclear propulsion plants. Does that make me a "self proclaimed" expert in your mind?
Are you trying to make my arguments for me? In other words more capacity from solar and wind is redundant and simply adds unnecessary expense.
The full cost of solar and wind are less than the fuel cost of these fossil units. Easy peasy. Most of these 5% units are used in extreme weather situations, like the hottest day pf the summer, when solar is cranking out MWHs.
Electricity from solar and wind is great...unless you like having electricity on nights with no wind. During those times, you need power from conventional sources like coal, gas, nuclear, and hydro.
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