3 ms·

> It is time we don't have anymore. We should now be focusing renewables and, more cruicially, storage. You think that can be done faster than 10 years?

• pjc50 6y ago
  The UK managed something like 5% -> 25% renewables in the past 10 years; complete decarbonisation of electricity isn't really possible in 10 years, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Especially as the price has fallen so dramatically; large areas of the US are ripe for cheap solar.
  • dispat0r 6y ago
    As mentioned by topbanana you need storage for renewables. No good solution at the moment for that problem.
    • pjc50 6y ago
      .. but we've already done that 5 to 25% increase. Without significant storage. Storage will be needed to get to 100%, but we've already displaced all the coal generation with renewables! (and, I admit, some gas) Don't let the best be the enemy of the good. Keep expanding the renewables until 0-carbon moments are possible and curtailment starts to be a problem. Maybe 50%? (or, in meme format: noooo, you can't just replace everything with renewables! haha wind turbine go brrr)
  • ryathal 6y ago
    The 5% -> 25% was literally the easiest part. The big expensive downsides to renewables really aren't a factor. Intermittency is minor when you can fall back on 75%, if there's only 50% to fall back on that's a problem.