Biden’s Wind & Solar-Based Economy Is A Suicidal Fantasy

[rebewranger]

Biden’s Wind & Solar-Based Economy Is A Suicidal Fantasy
 
POSTED BY: FRANCIS MENTON VIA GATESTONE INSTITUTE APRIL 28, 2022

 
Any way that you crunch the math, it just won’t work. Alternative energy evangelists are willing to push constant and stable economic activity back into the 1800s, while money spent on converting the existing economy would go directly into their own pockets. Alternative energy is literally Technocracy’s pipe dream. ⁃ TN Editor

When President Biden and other advocates of wind and solar generation speak, they appear to believe that the challenge posed is just a matter of currently having too much fossil fuel generation and not enough wind and solar; and therefore, accomplishing the transition to “net zero” will be a simple matter of building sufficient wind and solar facilities and having those facilities replace the current ones that use the fossil fuels.

They are completely wrong about that.

https://www.technocracy.news/bidens-wind-solar-based-economy-is-a-suicidal-fantasy/

[Fishrrman]

The future they envision for us.
Not for "them". No way.
But... for "the rest of us".

[DefiantMassRINO]

No, it's an economic, strategic, and security suicidal reality.  It harms America.

[GtHawk]

If the Germans couldn't make it work I seriously doubt there is anyone here that can make it work.........at this time in history. I just don't think we have the technology or the need, not when there is some much oil, NG and clean Nuclear power from breeder reactors.

[roamer_1]

They are completely wrong about that.

Yes they are.

Sadly, given time, I think solar could result in an extremely distributed generation grid... Every home veritably self sufficient, with the grid merely providing buffer when solar is not able to keep the batteries charged.

But that time is not yet, and that is not what they are doing anyway... Can't make money on self sufficient homes.

[Kamaji]

Yes they are.

Sadly, given time, I think solar could result in an extremely distributed generation grid... Every home veritably self sufficient, with the grid merely providing buffer when solar is not able to keep the batteries charged.

But that time is not yet, and that is not what they are doing anyway... Can't make money on self sufficient homes.

Sure you can - the same way that, e.g., Red Hat makes money off of a free operating system, linux.  For example, with solar panels, one can make money selling the panels, maintaining them, repairing and replacing them, taking them for scrapping, and upgrading them.

Even assuming, arguendo, that one can make "eternal" panels that, once in place, would never need repair, replacement in the ordinary course, or upgrades, there is still money to be made in the original installation as well as in the replacement after storm or other damage.

[roamer_1]

Sure you can - the same way that, e.g., Red Hat makes money off of a free operating system, linux.  For example, with solar panels, one can make money selling the panels, maintaining them, repairing and replacing them, taking them for scrapping, and upgrading them.

Even assuming, arguendo, that one can make "eternal" panels that, once in place, would never need repair, replacement in the ordinary course, or upgrades, there is still money to be made in the original installation as well as in the replacement after storm or other damage.

Sure there's all that... But that's common after-market. Not something for power utilities. The value would shift. And I don't think utility companies would allow that. Which is why you see big solar generation plants instead of an effort to distribute it as a passive owner/operator WAN system.

Even so, while solar has really improved, and with it, become far more fiscally doable (if not sound), it has not reached a point where it makes sense where grid lines already exist.

[Kamaji]

Sure there's all that... But that's common after-market. Not something for power utilities. The value would shift. And I don't think utility companies would allow that. Which is why you see big solar generation plants instead of an effort to distribute it as a passive owner/operator WAN system.

Even so, while solar has really improved, and with it, become far more fiscally doable (if not sound), it has not reached a point where it makes sense where grid lines already exist.

Power utilities would find ways to make a profit - I'm not concerned about them.

[roamer_1]

Power utilities would find ways to make a profit - I'm not concerned about them.

I'm not concerned with them either. But they measure heavily in the power play, and they are very connected at least at the state level (pardon all puns).

They will carve it out their way. Until solar becomes mature and efficient enough to be a real alternative to grid electric and utilities are forced to buy excess from owner/operators... Which would be how the thing would actually happen organically.

[roamer_1]

I have to add that I have become rather fond of solar where it works.

It is beginning to replace propane off-grid, and has already largely replaced lanterns and pure generated power off-grid. If the price were to drop by half, and folks could afford to double their system to account for poor generation in the winter,the jenny would truly become a stand-by.

I know most folks won't get it, but that's extraordinary.

The same can be said of 'solar generators'... A fancy name for a battery or battery bank that is solar capable. Good sine wave power in a portable self contained system... It is changing things big time where the grid don't go. Still stupid expensive, but durable, and very useful if it can be afforded.

Right now a 250Ah system seems to be the sweet spot. About $125 to $150 to buy and is significant power on a three day camp. Not enough power. But significant. And with a suitcase jenny, it is sure nice to have the silence that comes with a charged battery.

But an abundance would probably be found above 250Ah. Unfortunately 500 Ah and up cost a buck a watt or more. Five hundred is too much, and a thousand bucks (for 1000Ah) is just crazy talk.

Again, as the systems mature and drop in price, this stuff has legs.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

If the Germans couldn't make it work I seriously doubt there is anyone here that can make it work.........at this time in history. I just don't think we have the technology or the need, not when there is some much oil, NG and clean Nuclear power from breeder reactors.

Different environment.  Germany does not have the southwest's abundant cloud-free days and open spaces for solar.

https://www.wunderground.com/maps/satellite/regional-infrared/conus#

Nor does it have the high wind conditions prevalent in the midwest as we have.

http://hint.fm/wind/

Having said that, there is no solution for full dependency on wind and solar country-wide either here, just in isolated places.