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You forget that energy is fungible. If Berkley is using more clean electricity then someone else can't. So it's important to use the best technology at the con
by ars 7y ago
You forget that energy is fungible. If Berkley is using more clean electricity then someone else can't.
So it's important to use the best technology at the consumption side.
This new policy, on a global level, will cause the emission of more co2, and is thus incredibly shortsighted.
- abdullahkhalids 7y agoThink of it in terms of economics. If new buildings can do whatever, it will increase the demand for both (clean or dirty) electricity and natural gas. If they can only install electric heating/cooling, then only the demand for (clean and dirty) electricity increases. So this law indirectly promotes the clean electricity industry.
- ars 7y agoThe clean energy industry is maxed out. All this law does is promote the dirty energy industry.
- paranoidrobot 7y ago> If Berkley is using more clean electricity then someone else can't. I don't follow this statement at all. There's not a limit[0] on the amount of energy that can be supplied from renewable sources. Preferentially purchasing green or greener energy sends a signal to the market to develop more green energy generation capabilities to meet those demands. [0] within reason. Obviously there's limits to the amount of energy we can harness from renewable sources, but those limits are far higher than our total energy needs.
- ars 7y ago> There's not a limit[0] on the amount of energy that can be supplied from renewable sources. Yes there is, the limit is how many power plants have been currently built. So this new ban by Berkeley is very very foolish and counterproductive. Right now, today, by making people heat with electricity instead of natural gas, they force additional electrical generation with coal or natural gas, and since there is a ton of transmission waste, it's even worse.