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Perhaps the solution is as simple as invest in more electric generating capacity in Panama. At 8 degrees off the equator, solar is plentiful. One could use lake
by slashdev 3y ago
Perhaps the solution is as simple as invest in more electric generating capacity in Panama. At 8 degrees off the equator, solar is plentiful. One could use lake Gatun for pumped hydro storage as well.
- nocoiner 3y agoWould there be enough elevation change to generate significant hydropower, though?
- slashdev 3y agoIt currently generates hydropower, so I suppose so.
- SoftTalker 3y agoAnother comment says ships are raised 85 feet during the transit, that sounds like enough to me if that is correct (not a hydropower engineer)
- nocoiner 3y agoApparently it’s 6 MW, which ain’t nothing, but isn’t a tremendous amount either. I don’t know what a typical battery storage facility can put out instantaneously - I would think more, perhaps substantially more. Though the lake certainly would have the capacity advantage!
- iancmceachern 3y agoAnother commenter noted that they did this in the 60s and 70s, apparently there was a floating nuclear reactor there so they didn't need so much hydro power, keeping the reservoir more full