Prediction: Coal has fallen. Nuclear is next then Oil.

[eevee-fan]

To DER or not to DER, that is the question.

California PUC opens 'mother of all proceedings' to prepare the grid for new wave of DERs

Regulators intend to provide a framework that will allow better grid integration for distributed solar, storage and electric vehicles while enabling investments that take those resources into account.

www.utilitydive.com

 

[mspohr]

Reuters India: No bids for over 70% of Indian coal mines up for auction. No bids for over 70% of Indian coal mines up for auction

 

[mspohr]

I hate to say it but it looks like the age of fossil fuels will end in the next few years | First Dog on the Moon

It is the monthly board meeting of the Coalbastards Corporation

www.theguardian.com

 

[mspohr]

Oil sands come with a $60 billion bill for cutting carbon

It will cost about C$75 billion ($60 billion) to zero out greenhouse gases from oil sands operations by 2050, with a good deal of the costs borne by taxpaye

www.autoblog.com

The plan to cut those emissions-- which also has the support of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Imperial Oil and MEG Energy Corp. -- will include measures like switching the fuels used at oil sands operations. Cenovus and the other companies are also developing ways to use solvents like propane to help separate the oil from the sand more efficiently and pump more crude with lower steam requirements. Later on, the industry might employ small nuclear reactors to make steam, Pourbaix said.

 

[Oil4AsphaultOnly]

Oil sands come with a $60 billion bill for cutting carbon

It will cost about C$75 billion ($60 billion) to zero out greenhouse gases from oil sands operations by 2050, with a good deal of the costs borne by taxpaye

www.autoblog.com

The plan to cut those emissions-- which also has the support of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Imperial Oil and MEG Energy Corp. -- will include measures like switching the fuels used at oil sands operations. Cenovus and the other companies are also developing ways to use solvents like propane to help separate the oil from the sand more efficiently and pump more crude with lower steam requirements. Later on, the industry might employ small nuclear reactors to make steam, Pourbaix said.

OMFG. It seems the concept of "when in a hole, stop digging" eludes them. They're definitely not quitters.

 

[jimm01]

OMFG. It seems the concept of "when in a hole, stop digging" eludes them. They're definitely not quitters.

Unpacking Canada’s Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Fossil fuel subsidies hold us back and incentivize pollution. How much do Canada's governments subsidize fossil fuels, and why does it matter?

www.iisd.org

 

[SmartElectric]

I hate to say it but it looks like the age of fossil fuels will end in the next few years | First Dog on the Moon

It is the monthly board meeting of the Coalbastards Corporation

www.theguardian.com

LOL funny comic.

it is tough being pro-coal, just ask ian the climate denialist potato – First Dog On The Moon

firstdogonthemoon.com.au

^ this is the cartoonist, and not the first time coal is roasted.
Ref:

 

[AndreP]

Electricity demand is surging far beyond current renewable installation capacity, with coal likely to make up the difference especially in Asia

Surging Electricity Demand to Boost Emissions as Coal Use Climbs - BNN Bloomberg

Global electricity consumption will surge this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, with fossil fuels supplying almost half the increase in a shift that threatens ambitious net-zero carbon emission targets.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

 

[Oil4AsphaultOnly]

Electricity demand is surging far beyond current renewable installation capacity, with coal likely to make up the difference especially in Asia

Surging Electricity Demand to Boost Emissions as Coal Use Climbs - BNN Bloomberg

Global electricity consumption will surge this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, with fossil fuels supplying almost half the increase in a shift that threatens ambitious net-zero carbon emission targets.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

That's just a post-covid recovery blip. Coal consumption had already been on a declining consumption trend starting in pre-covid 2019 (Coal 2020 – Analysis - IEA). After 2021 (2022 might still average higher due to 2021 still not being a fully recovered economy), it should go back into decline.

 

[AndreP]

That's just a post-covid recovery blip. Coal consumption had already been on a declining consumption trend starting in pre-covid 2019 (Coal 2020 – Analysis - IEA). After 2021 (2022 might still average higher due to 2021 still not being a fully recovered economy), it should go back into decline.

Yup that's mentioned in the article but it will still likely derail the world's net zero goals when we need constant annual declines, a lot more needs to be done in India and China if we want any hope of achieving our commitments

 

[Oil4AsphaultOnly]

Yup that's mentioned in the article but it will still likely derail the world's net zero goals when we need constant annual declines, a lot more needs to be done in India and China if we want any hope of achieving our commitments

That's to be seen. For the sake of national prestige, China will get their coal plants under control. The rest of the ASEAN nations will be influenced by chinese supply of solar panels and LiFePO4 batteries. Unfortunately, India is unmotivated participant.

I just want to point out that the IEA has zero control over what countries do with their energy policies, which is another reason why their 2050 "plan" isn't a plan at all. I thought that's why this thread had been about domestic electricity production and NOT the global one?

 

[mspohr]

That's to be seen. For the sake of national prestige, China will get their coal plants under control. The rest of the ASEAN nations will be influenced by chinese supply of solar panels and LiFePO4 batteries. Unfortunately, India is unmotivated participant.

I just want to point out that the IEA has zero control over what countries do with their energy policies, which is another reason why their 2050 "plan" isn't a plan at all. I thought that's why this thread had been about domestic electricity production and NOT the global one?

Solar power in India - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The Indian government had an initial target of 20 GW capacity for 2022, which was achieved four years ahead of schedule.[3] In 2015 the target was raised to 100 GW of solar capacity (including 40 GW from rooftop solar) by 2022, targeting an investment of US$100 billion.[4][5] India has established nearly 42 solar parks to make land available to the promoters of solar plants. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had stated that a further 36.03 GW (as of January 31, 2021) of solar projects are under various stages of implementation and 23.87 GW are in the tendering process.[6]

 

[mspohr]

Ars Technica: Nuclear power’s reliability is dropping as extreme weather increases. Nuclear power’s reliability is dropping as extreme weather increases

With extreme weather causing power failures in California and Texas, it’s increasingly clear that the existing power infrastructure isn’t designed for these new conditions. Past research has shown that nuclear power plants are no exception, with rising temperatures creating cooling problems for them. Now, a comprehensive analysis looking at a broader range of climate events shows that it’s not just hot weather that puts these plants at risk—it's the full range of climate disturbances.

 

[mspohr]

Utility profit grab will cost consumers $120 billion | Solar Rights Alliance

New report shows that investing in local solar and batteries would save Californians $120 billion, or $295 per year for the next 30 years. We MUST #SaveSolar

solarrights.org

The report found that by making electricity closer to where it is used, the state reduces the need for long-distance power lines and giant wind farms. The report confirms a trend we have been witnessing for several years. In 2018 alone, state energy officials scaled back $2.6 billion worth of power line projects. That’s thanks to both rooftop solar and energy efficiency. This year, the state reported that power line spending remained relatively flat, again thanks to efficiency and local solar.

 

[mspohr]

Study: the biggest barrier to solar expansion is that you can't price gouge | Boing Boing

A recent study published in the scientific journal Joule, titled “Solar and wind grid system value in the United States: The effect of transmission congestion, generation profiles, and curtai…

boingboing.net

Essentially the problem here — the one that the paper is recognizing, rather than endorsing — is that the lower profit potentials of solar energy mean that it could get harder to incentivize the people with capital to build enough solar arrays and battery storage to handle all of that cheap renewable energy. Why invest in infrastructure that makes the world a better, cleaner place and improves everyone's quality of life, when you can invest in infrastructure that extracts value from the planet like a vampire, slowly draining the life out of everything?

 

[jimm01]

Interesting article on building energy efficiency--it mentions at our present rate of adoption it will take 500 years to retrofit every home in America with existing technologies.

Buildings are a bigger contributor to climate change than cars — these start-ups are trying to help

If we're going to solve climate change, we need to rapidly decarbonize buildings. Here are the companies working to get buildings off of fossil fuels for good.

www.cnbc.com

 

[SageBrush]

Utility profit grab will cost consumers $120 billion | Solar Rights Alliance

New report shows that investing in local solar and batteries would save Californians $120 billion, or $295 per year for the next 30 years. We MUST #SaveSolar

solarrights.org

The report found that by making electricity closer to where it is used, the state reduces the need for long-distance power lines and giant wind farms. The report confirms a trend we have been witnessing for several years. In 2018 alone, state energy officials scaled back $2.6 billion worth of power line projects. That’s thanks to both rooftop solar and energy efficiency. This year, the state reported that power line spending remained relatively flat, again thanks to efficiency and local solar.

I expect them to learn to regret that decision. Power lines are the cheapest reserve capacity, hands down.

 

[eevee-fan]

To DER or not to DER, that is the question.

California PUC opens 'mother of all proceedings' to prepare the grid for new wave of DERs

Regulators intend to provide a framework that will allow better grid integration for distributed solar, storage and electric vehicles while enabling investments that take those resources into account.

www.utilitydive.com

DER... this makes sense.

California PUC unveils draft plan for 'forward-thinking' distributed energy policy

The plan focuses on integrating DERs into wholesale markets and ensuring they are fairly compensated for value stacking, among other measures.

www.utilitydive.com

 

[jimm01]

"The author calculated that the average frequency of climate-linked outages went from 0.2 outages per year in the 1990s to 1.5 outages in the timeframe of 2010 to 2019. A retrospective analysis further showed that, for every 1° C rise in temperature (above the average temperature between 1951 and 1980), the energy output of the global fleet fell about 0.5 percent."

Nuclear power’s reliability is dropping as extreme weather increases

A comprehensive analysis shows that warmer temperatures aren't the only threat.

arstechnica.com

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

"The author calculated that the average frequency of climate-linked outages went from 0.2 outages per year in the 1990s to 1.5 outages in the timeframe of 2010 to 2019. A retrospective analysis further showed that, for every 1° C rise in temperature (above the average temperature between 1951 and 1980), the energy output of the global fleet fell about 0.5 percent."

Nuclear power’s reliability is dropping as extreme weather increases

A comprehensive analysis shows that warmer temperatures aren't the only threat.

arstechnica.com

They also got older.