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

[eevee-fan]

Green energy leads new US generating capacity in 2020 - Electrek

"Analysis by the Sun Day Campaign, a nonprofit research organization, shows that, five years ago, FERC reported that total installed renewable energy generating capacity was 17.27% of the nation’s total with wind at 5.84% (now 9.13%) and solar at 1.08% (now 3.95%). Thus, over the past half-decade, wind’s share of the nation’s generating capacity has expanded by nearly 60% while that of solar is now almost four times greater."

We need to connect the TX grid to the West... lots of wind farms there for some power help 7pm CST/5pm PST and TX could use west coast's solar peak being 2 hour later.

 

[SageBrush]

We need to connect the TX grid to the West... lots of wind farms there for some power help 7pm CST/5pm PST and TX could use west coast's solar peak being 2 hour later.

That will happen just as soon as Texas changes its grid to match the West, and agrees to FERC regulation.

Crazy, eh ?

 

[eevee-fan]

That will happen just as soon as Texas changes its grid to match the West.

Crazy, eh ?

TX is best for wind. CA is best for solar. The 2 tend to compliment each other.

If you look at CAISO and triple wind, solar+wind produces a pretty stable baseload all day!

I guess CA can just do offshore wind.

 

[SageBrush]

I guess CA can just do offshore wind.

Bingo

 

[dgpcolorado]

...I guess CA can just do offshore wind.

Offshore wind is much more difficult in California than along the East Coast, or Europe, because the continental shelf drops off sharply along the West Coast, so the water tends to be very deep. Along the East Coast the water is relatively shallow for many miles, which aids building offshore wind farms at reasonable cost.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Offshore wind is much more difficult in California than along the East Coast, or Europe, because the continental shelf drops off sharply along the West Coast, so the water tends to be very deep. Along the East Coast the water is relatively shallow for many miles, which aids building offshore wind farms at reasonable cost.

Yes, it needs more development of floating offshore wind turbines.

The technology is really still in development, but test turbines are already being deployed, and it's re-using technology from oil and gas, so I expect it'll be ready for larger deployments soon.

 

[mspohr]

Scottish nuclear power station to shut down early after reactor problems

The energy company had hoped to keep generating electricity from the 44-year old nuclear plant on the Firth of Clyde until 2023, after ploughing more than £200m into repairing the reactor.

Hunterston, sited near Largs in North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, has been offline since 2018 after inspectors discovered 350 microscopic cracks in the reactor’s graphite core.

 

[mspohr]

In ‘power play,’ Exelon vows to close Byron and Dresden nuclear plants

First, let’s remember that Exelon already receives a ratepayer-funded subsidy of $235 million dollars per year to run nuclear plants in Illinois,” Abudayyeh said. “While they couch their messaging in their desire for a clean energy future, their primary purpose is to dramatically increase those subsidies on behalf of their shareholders.

The fate of the plants will be a prime topic for the General Assembly, which will labor in the shadows of the ComEd bribery scandal.

The utility confessed in July to paying associates of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan $1.3 million to buy his favor. Madigan has not been charged, but ComEd, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the federal government, agreed to a $200 million fine and said it would continue cooperating in the probe

 

[bruce4000]

Yes, it needs more development of floating offshore wind turbines.

The technology is really still in development, but test turbines are already being deployed, and it's re-using technology from oil and gas, so I expect it'll be ready for larger deployments soon.

With offshore oil companies going bankrupt from low prices, need to apply their tech to the problem of offshore wind

 

[mspohr]

With offshore oil companies going bankrupt from low prices, need to apply their tech to the problem of offshore wind

I don't see any oil drilling tech application to wind (other than anchors).

 

[SageBrush]

I don't see any oil drilling tech application to wind (other than anchors).

Floating platforms. It is a massive opportunity of almost unlimited scale if the technical and cost challenges are solved. I would go so far as to say that price competitive floating wind would kill fossil energy power plants in short order. There are a couple small scale floating wind farms operating today as proofs of concept. That puts them ~ 5 years behind tethered off-shore wind.

 

[mspohr]

NSW plan for 21 coalmines would create seven years of nation's emissions, expert says

 

[Merrill]

NSW plan for 21 coalmines would create seven years of nation's emissions, expert says

This is very disturbing, I guess would do anything for the money.

 

[mspohr]

This is very disturbing, I guess would do anything for the money.

They're billing it as a jobs program and it will generate lots of revenue.
No concern for the environment.

 

[SageBrush]

No concern for the environment.

And no accounting for the pollution bill

 

[dgpcolorado]

Floating platforms. It is a massive opportunity of almost unlimited scale if the technical and cost challenges are solved. I would go so far as to say that price competitive floating wind would kill fossil energy power plants in short order. There are a couple small scale floating wind farms operating today as proofs of concept. That puts them ~ 5 years behind tethered off-shore wind.

Not sure I understand the distinction between "floating" and "tethered". Floating platforms have to be tethered to work, since they need cables to shore to deliver the electricity generated. I presume that a better distinction would be between "floating" and "fixed" (somehow) to the seafloor.

 

[SageBrush]

Not sure I understand the distinction between "floating" and "tethered". Floating platforms have to be tethered to work, since they need cables to shore to deliver the electricity generated. I presume that a better distinction would be between "floating" and "fixed" (somehow) to the seafloor.

I agree, my word choice is poor. I objected to 'anchored' as the opposite of floating because it makes me think of an anchored boat which is floating, but with limited horizontal movement.

And if I understand correctly, a floating turbine is actually similar to an anchored boat.

 

[miimura]

I agree, my word choice is poor. I objected to 'anchored' as the opposite of floating because it makes me think of an anchored boat which is floating, but with limited horizontal movement.

And if I understand correctly, a floating turbine is actually similar to an anchored boat.

Additionally, I would expect an anchored boat to only use a single line to the sea floor. I would expect a piece of tethered infrastructure to use more than one line to the sea floor.

 

[SageBrush]

Additionally, I would expect an anchored boat to only use a single line to the sea floor. I would expect a piece of tethered infrastructure to use more than one line to the sea floor.

I think the cry is "Anchors away !!"

 

[CSFTN]

That will happen just as soon as Texas changes its grid to match the West, and agrees to FERC regulation.

Crazy, eh ?

In what fashion does the Texas grid need to change in order match that of the West? And could the West just as well change to match Texas?