Transmission losses are huge over long distances I found this document from ABB, http://www02.abb.com/global/abbzh/abbzh250.nsf/0/2adcc78ab7f0f967c12574c000464

Transmission losses are huge over long distances I found this document from ABB, http://www02.abb.com/global/abbzh/abbzh250.nsf/0/2adcc78ab7f0f967c12574c00046478a/$file/HVDC+-+efficiency+and+reliability.pdf http://www02.abb.com/global/abbzh/abbzh250.nsf/0/2adcc78ab7f..., they know a thing or two about power transmission. They claim: A 2,000-km long HVDC line rated at 800 kilovolts loses about 5 percent of the electricity it carries to heat, while an equivalent AC line would lose twice that amount, or about 10 percent. I wouldn't call either of those losses "huge". There are of course additional losses in converters or transformers. Still, that's darn good, better than I would have guessed. plus you would have the added problem... Those are fair points, I think much more significant than the transmission losses.