4 ms·

Can you elaborate?

Georgelemental 3y ago
Average wind and solar generation is increasing at coal's expense, but what about the extrema time periods—when one energy method is producing much more, or much less, than usual? To fully replace coal, renewables need to produce all the time.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  This is inaccurate. Fossil gas replaces coal due to its lower cost and fast throttle capabilities (lower carbon and cleaner emissions profile is a happy accident). It's also complimented by renewables, and as renewables expand, they will crowd out fossil gas generation (in concert with utility scale batteries firming renewables and providing grid services). Fossil gas continues to serve the grid in a diminishing capacity as batteries take hold (at a combined cost with renewables lower than fossil gas). https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/jan/29/natural-gas-killed-coal-now-renewables-and-batteries-are-taking-over https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97... https://www.vox.com/2015/6/9/8748081/us-100-percent-renewable-energy https://www.vox.com/2015/6/9/8748081/us-100-percent-renewabl... https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/Tesla-Master-Plan-Part-3.pdf https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/Tesla-Master-Plan-Part-3.pdf https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/batteries-are-taking-over-from-gas-plants-for-reliability/ https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/batteries-are-ta... https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/2023-levelized-cost-of-energyplus/ https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/2023-levelized-cost...
  - bequanna 3y ago
    > in concert with utility scale batteries firming renewables and providing grid services Great links, but it seems like you’re papering over the actual issue: energy storage This is nowhere near solved and currently very expensive.
    - toomuchtodo 3y ago
      It is getting cheap fast. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45596 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45596 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/natural-gas-in-transition-grid-balancing-tactics-in-flux-as-battery-costs-fall-64822077 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights...
      - toomuchtodo 3y ago
        Also https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/25/new-battery-storage-capacity-10x-growth-40-gwh-year-by-2030/ https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/25/new-battery-storage-cap...

Can you elaborate?

Average wind and solar generation is increasing at coal's expense, but what about the extrema time periods—when one energy method is producing much more, or much less, than usual? To fully replace coal, renewables need to produce all the time.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
This is inaccurate. Fossil gas replaces coal due to its lower cost and fast throttle capabilities (lower carbon and cleaner emissions profile is a happy accident). It's also complimented by renewables, and as renewables expand, they will crowd out fossil gas generation (in concert with utility scale batteries firming renewables and providing grid services). Fossil gas continues to serve the grid in a diminishing capacity as batteries take hold (at a combined cost with renewables lower than fossil gas). https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/jan/29/natural-gas-killed-coal-now-renewables-and-batteries-are-taking-over https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97... https://www.vox.com/2015/6/9/8748081/us-100-percent-renewable-energy https://www.vox.com/2015/6/9/8748081/us-100-percent-renewabl... https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/Tesla-Master-Plan-Part-3.pdf https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/Tesla-Master-Plan-Part-3.pdf https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/batteries-are-taking-over-from-gas-plants-for-reliability/ https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/blog/batteries-are-ta... https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/2023-levelized-cost-of-energyplus/ https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/2023-levelized-cost...
- bequanna 3y ago
  > in concert with utility scale batteries firming renewables and providing grid services Great links, but it seems like you’re papering over the actual issue: energy storage This is nowhere near solved and currently very expensive.
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago
    It is getting cheap fast. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45596 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45596 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/natural-gas-in-transition-grid-balancing-tactics-in-flux-as-battery-costs-fall-64822077 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights...
    - toomuchtodo 3y ago
      Also https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/25/new-battery-storage-capacity-10x-growth-40-gwh-year-by-2030/ https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/25/new-battery-storage-cap...