Electricity----Something to Look Forward To? (San Antonio, Bowie: house, buy, cost of)

[Debbie B F]

I've read multiple threads regarding utility companies and high cost of electricity.

I thought I'd ask a different question.

Is there something in the works that will help decrease high cost of electricity for the state of Texas in the near future?

[WillysB]

The cost of electricity isn't going down, anywhere, anytime. However, some users do learn to become more efficient in their use of their electricity.

Texas leads the nation in the development of wind farms. You may have heard Boone Pickens speak of them. Texas is agressively pursuing that development and leads the nation in wind powered electricity. The challenge there is getting that electricity from west Texas to large cities.

[brently54]

Solar panels are increasing in efficiency and are getting much cheaper. There are companies aiming for $1 a watt, which would make solar viable.

[car957]

The problem is not the wind - it's generated power transmission and reliability when the wind is not blowing. WillysB is on the mark.

We're working on it. In the interim we will pay for low sulfur coal from Wyoming and and natural gas to keep the turbines turning and pray that rainwater keeps all hydroelectric plants supplied from lake water at their maximum hydraulic head pressure. Tomorrow it will be 100F at my house so I currently have little concern over running my AC unit and its impact on my carbon footprint (man, I apoligize if I sound like I'm whining).

T Boone says 10 years to solve the problem - I say 20 with some improvements in electrical energy storage technologies and the use of tidal wave energy.

[killer2021]

Originally Posted by brently54

Solar panels are increasing in efficiency and are getting much cheaper. There are companies aiming for $1 a watt, which would make solar viable.

I take it you are talking about nanosolar? First off that company does look promising except they can't ramp up their production even though they've developed 1gw/year production machines. They say they are sold out of their product for the next 12 months which gives the impression that they are shipping their product. As far as I know, I've seen nothing in the general public. Who knows if that product will even make it to market. Some big electric utility will probably buy them out and throw the technology in the basement or make private pv solar farms. Which makes a lot of sense because first solar is doing the same thing. Only selling it's production to large scale pv systems. Heaven forbid that people install pv panels on their roof and say the hell with electric companies.

[KantLockeMeIn]

Originally Posted by Debbie B F

Is there something in the works that will help decrease high cost of electricity for the state of Texas in the near future?

Start demanding nuclear power. We've got too much tied up in natural gas, coal is filthy, and wind/solar isn't efficient enough yet to be cost effective. If we built some nuclear plants we could carry the state through the period of time it will take for wind/solar to become more cost effective.

[loves2read]

nuclear has a small margin of error--I really do not trust anyone to deal with the complications of using nuclear fuel for energy--

[Bo]

Electing some Democrats to the state lege and governor's office is probably your best hope for re-regulating the electricity industry in Texas. Clearly, deregulation hasn't worked as promised.

In the meantime, your best bet is to move to a city like San Antonio which has a municipal electric utility.

[Mr. Xeno]

Deregulation is always the best option. The LESS government interferrence, the better.

If the DEMOCRATS would allow us to build more COAL plants and NUCLEAR plants to provide more electricity, we would have CHEAPER rates.

Originally Posted by Bowie

Electing some Democrats to the state lege and governor's office is probably your best hope for re-regulating the electricity industry in Texas. Clearly, deregulation hasn't worked as promised.

In the meantime, your best bet is to move to a city like San Antonio which has a municipal electric utility.

[KantLockeMeIn]

Originally Posted by loves2read

nuclear has a small margin of error--I really do not trust anyone to deal with the complications of using nuclear fuel for energy--

Nuclear energy is much safer than 20 years ago... look at the technology that we have devloped for France that we hardly even use. It's clean, safe, and inexpensive. The only question is what to do with the waste, but even those processes have been improved in recycling the waste for reuse.