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Since we currently aren't covering the existing demand for electricity with reneweables, the "marginal kwh" of electrifying some car comes from fossil fuels, no
by PeterisP 3y ago
Since we currently aren't covering the existing demand for electricity with reneweables, the "marginal kwh" of electrifying some car comes from fossil fuels, not solar.
Those are two separate things - electrifying some transportation need gets us X benefit, and converting some electric generation from fossil fuels to solar gets Y benefit, but the former doesn't automagically create the latter.
- conjecTech 3y ago1) There is no reason to attribute all of the carbon intensity to the last use to be added. It is far more accurate to estimate the carbon intensity of something by the blended production mix at its time of use. Fossil fuel plants are often kept online for factors beyond the need for additional capacity at a certain time. 2) You are assuming there is no curtailment or rejection of wind, solar, and nuclear, which is categorically false. This is why there are time-of-day rates that vary so drastically. There are large amounts of renewable/low-carbon energy that would otherwise be wasted in pretty much every geography.
- benj111 3y agoYou could apply that to everything. If I turn on (or keep on) my light when usage isn't completely covered by renewables, should that be calculated as using all fossil fuels? The logical extension is that everyone should calculate the carbon intensity as a binary choice which is obviously wrong. The only reasonable way to go is to look at the actual carbon intensity average.