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I had that thought recently. Renewable energy sources like wind need a lot of energy storage. That is, unless you over-provision them so much that they can alwa

I had that thought recently. Renewable energy sources like wind need a lot of energy storage. That is, unless you over-provision them so much that they can always meet demand even at peak times. This leaves you with over-production at other times, which could be used for other purposes that don't need to run continuously: synthetic jet fuel production, water desalination, etc. Basically, overprovision and then set electricity rates based on demand, and the renewable energy "storage problem" might just sort itself out. Of course, all those windmills and solar panels will cost an awful lot, so it might not be as simple as "overprovisioning".

Sebb767 4y ago
> That is, unless you over-provision them so much that they can always meet demand even at peak times. Overprovisioning solar to power the grid on ice cold, windless new moon night is going to be hard. Having somewhere to put excess energy and some overprovisioning is always good, but it won't solve all storage problems.
- aftbit 4y ago
  If we can build a superconducting grid, we can transport power from the parts of the planet where it is sunny or windy to the parts where it isn't. Assuming that everyone remains friendly and operational, that is.