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Fun fact - the exhaust cooling tubes at that old plant dump out into the ocean and create a really warm environment that is rich in sea life and a very popular

Fun fact - the exhaust cooling tubes at that old plant dump out into the ocean and create a really warm environment that is rich in sea life and a very popular diving/snorkeling spot. It's even called Electric Beach. https://www.snorkeling-report.com/spot/snorkeling-electric-beach-oahu-hawaii/ https://www.snorkeling-report.com/spot/snorkeling-electric-b... I lived there for a few years and tried to snorkel there - but my submechanophobia prevented me from getting more than a few feet into the water. Seeing those big spooky tubes scared the ever living shit out of me. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fel9s8fue7e021.jpg https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fe...

paxys 3y ago
For me it would be less about spooky and more that I don't want to swim anywhere near whatever they are pumping out.
- whalesalad 3y ago
  Ostensibly it is just warm water from a cooling system. Like a PC watercooling system, except the reservoir is literally the Pacific Ocean.
  - throwaway2037 3y ago
    How do they deal with the corrosive effects of salt water? Or do they remove most of the salt before using?
    - Tagbert 3y ago
      Probably just using stainless steel or similar material for the pipes. It would be too energy intensive to desalinate the cooling water. It is an open system that pumps water in and back out again. It is not a closed system.
    - dghlsakjg 3y ago
      Every large ship engine is cooled by raw ocean water, mostly through a heat exchanger system. Basically instead of cooling the engine coolant with air like on your car, they cool it with ocean water. In my experience in smaller boats using the same system (100-150 feet) corrosion is less of a problem than growth and calcification. Mostly we just dissolve everything with acid every once in a while on those systems.
      - zaroth 3y ago
        And sacrificial zinc anodes that get replaced regularly.
        dghlsakjg 3y ago
        True. That covers galvanic corrosion, but not other corrosive effects.
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  It's clean water. They circulate ocean water through a heat exchanger to cool the steam condenser. Nuclear plants do the same thing.
  - darth_avocado 3y ago
    The water can be clear to begin with, but I assume some chemicals are leaching into it from the entire apparatus that the water cycles through. Just like clean water was cycling through lead pipes in Flint and eventually became toxic.
    - throwaway09223 3y ago
      Well, it would be an invalid assumption. The pipes are just pipes. There are no chemicals. Do you also avoid touching water from your kitchen sink? Your bathroom shower?
      - hammock 3y ago
        You think there's no chemicals in your tap water? You think nothing leaches from your plumbing into the water either?
        mab122 3y ago
        I believe in normal circumstances its neglegible and not worth worrying about.
        shkkmo 3y ago
        This response seems silly. Do you not take shower or baths in tap water? The issue is the same.
        throwaway09223 3y ago
        I think you are probably shower and bathe in water that flows through pipes, so it seems absurd to be concerned about the same water/pipe combination used elsewhere. If you don't shower or bathe or use modern plumbing infrastructure then please, by all means correct my mistaken assumption.
alex_h 3y ago
The Kahe (oil powered) plant at electric beach is still operational. The coal fired power plant that shut down is a little further south of there, closer to Barbers point.
- ChristianGeek 3y ago
  It also shut down over a year ago (9/1/22).
  - charkbot 3y ago
    For those confused by this comment, "It" refers to the coal power plant from the article, not the Kahe powerplant in the parent comment. I definitely went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to confirm/deny that Kahe or Waiau shutfown before realizing my confusion.
patja 3y ago
It is a great spot. Can be a tough entry when the surf is up. But overall I would say it is certainly among the best spots on Oahu for shore snorkeling. And it is just a 5 minute drive if you are staying at any of the condos or hotels at Ko Olina.
mcmoor 3y ago
I thought usually heat like this is regarded as "pollution" and will ruin environment somehow. I've heard something like that about nuclear plant. Although maybe it's a case by case basis
- arcticbull 3y ago
  It depends where you’re putting the waste heat. If it’s a small river or pond then it’ll heat the pond and meaningfully change the ecosystem. If you drop it into the ocean then nothing really happens because the ocean is pretty big. And a zero carbon source like nuclear will net reduce the temperature of the ocean if it replaces something like coal.
  - darth_avocado 3y ago
    That’s not how it works though. The place where you release the water, a local hot spot is created and the heat takes a while to gradually dissipate. If you continuously release hot water, then a permanent localized hot spot is created. This may work for some marine species, but will also be damaging to others. If it affects a keystone species negatively, like say corals, then a larger die off can happen. This is the exact logic why desalination plants are widely considered bad. Yes, if you look at the entire ocean, you’re barely increasing the salinity of the water, but for the local neighborhood where the waste water is released, the salinity goes up to the point that even saltwater fish find it toxic.
    - markdown 3y ago
      So just dump the hot water a few kilometers out, where there's a desert.
    - throwaway09223 3y ago
      It's usually a silly complaint, though. The change is to a small area, and small areas are naturally different temperatures for all sorts of different reasons. Dredging the beach and changing the water elevation will have similar temperature effects. At electric beach it creates a nice, unique ecosystem and there's nothing wrong with that.
rockinghigh 3y ago
Google Maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/d6AchooL8MFjxmoj6 https://maps.app.goo.gl/d6AchooL8MFjxmoj6
throwitaway222 3y ago
I probably stared at the picture a little too long.
arbitrandomuser 3y ago
I didn't know what submechanophobia was , Is it really common to have a word for itself ?
- yreg 3y ago
  I don't suppose that too many people are terrified of these things, but many (including me) find them mildly unsettling. I imagine trypophobia is similar in that sense.
  - EmuAGR 3y ago
    I agree with you, that would be the exact word I would've used to describe it. Also, since I was a child, I've been scared of pool drains for the treatment system.
- IlliOnato 3y ago
  Submechanophobia has a wikipedia page, which also indicates that there is some scientific research into this phobia (which does not have a good explanation). So it's not a one-person problem.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - kossTKR 3y ago
    I have a theory that this, like fear of heights, claustrophobia, agoraphobia etc. are actually "extremely natural" because they're all good for survival ie. instincts unlearned somehow culturally, but would be the baseline if you teleported a Palaeolithic, Sumerian, Viking or whatever into our modern complex and somewhat claustrophobic technological life.
    - rrr_oh_man 3y ago
      > like fear of heights, claustrophobia, agoraphobia etc. are actually "extremely natural" That’s a lot of copium, frankly
UberFly 3y ago
A phobia or just really disconcerting? I guess it just depends.
aqme28 3y ago
I've swam with dolphins there. It's really beautiful for how accessible it is as a snorkeling spot
bertil 3y ago
If you are worried water will get cooler, let me tell you about global boiling… Cynical joke aside, renewable electrical systems also need cooling: heat pumps for AC, but also cooling batteries, solar panels if you want them to perform well, etc. I feel like it’s best if that heat is used in heat pumps to warm up water for showers, but there might be some waste left for Electric Beach.
thomky 3y ago
I've snorkeled at Electric Beach -- underwater you could hear the buzzing from the powerplant. Somewhat surreal and I'm surprised it didn't bother the marine life.
drzaiusapelord 3y ago
On the flipside, its not as obvious what coal burning exhaust has done to other parts of the biome. I imagine its extremely damaging. Not to mention, what it does to human lungs. Evolution didn't create all this life with the assumption there would be electric beaches. I suspect the loss of this warmth will be a small price to pay to reduce emissions and that other parts of the biome will flourish in-line with how evolution developed life in that regions for billions of years.

paxys 3y ago

For me it would be less about spooky and more that I don't want to swim anywhere near whatever they are pumping out.

whalesalad 3y ago
Ostensibly it is just warm water from a cooling system. Like a PC watercooling system, except the reservoir is literally the Pacific Ocean.
- throwaway2037 3y ago
  How do they deal with the corrosive effects of salt water? Or do they remove most of the salt before using?
  - Tagbert 3y ago
    Probably just using stainless steel or similar material for the pipes. It would be too energy intensive to desalinate the cooling water. It is an open system that pumps water in and back out again. It is not a closed system.
  - dghlsakjg 3y ago
    Every large ship engine is cooled by raw ocean water, mostly through a heat exchanger system. Basically instead of cooling the engine coolant with air like on your car, they cool it with ocean water. In my experience in smaller boats using the same system (100-150 feet) corrosion is less of a problem than growth and calcification. Mostly we just dissolve everything with acid every once in a while on those systems.
    - zaroth 3y ago
      And sacrificial zinc anodes that get replaced regularly.
      - dghlsakjg 3y ago
        True. That covers galvanic corrosion, but not other corrosive effects.
ceejayoz 3y ago
It's clean water. They circulate ocean water through a heat exchanger to cool the steam condenser. Nuclear plants do the same thing.
- darth_avocado 3y ago
  The water can be clear to begin with, but I assume some chemicals are leaching into it from the entire apparatus that the water cycles through. Just like clean water was cycling through lead pipes in Flint and eventually became toxic.
  - throwaway09223 3y ago
    Well, it would be an invalid assumption. The pipes are just pipes. There are no chemicals. Do you also avoid touching water from your kitchen sink? Your bathroom shower?
    - hammock 3y ago
      You think there's no chemicals in your tap water? You think nothing leaches from your plumbing into the water either?
      - mab122 3y ago
        I believe in normal circumstances its neglegible and not worth worrying about.
      - shkkmo 3y ago
        This response seems silly. Do you not take shower or baths in tap water? The issue is the same.
      - throwaway09223 3y ago
        I think you are probably shower and bathe in water that flows through pipes, so it seems absurd to be concerned about the same water/pipe combination used elsewhere. If you don't shower or bathe or use modern plumbing infrastructure then please, by all means correct my mistaken assumption.

alex_h 3y ago

The Kahe (oil powered) plant at electric beach is still operational. The coal fired power plant that shut down is a little further south of there, closer to Barbers point.

ChristianGeek 3y ago
It also shut down over a year ago (9/1/22).
- charkbot 3y ago
  For those confused by this comment, "It" refers to the coal power plant from the article, not the Kahe powerplant in the parent comment. I definitely went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to confirm/deny that Kahe or Waiau shutfown before realizing my confusion.

patja 3y ago

It is a great spot. Can be a tough entry when the surf is up. But overall I would say it is certainly among the best spots on Oahu for shore snorkeling. And it is just a 5 minute drive if you are staying at any of the condos or hotels at Ko Olina.

mcmoor 3y ago

I thought usually heat like this is regarded as "pollution" and will ruin environment somehow. I've heard something like that about nuclear plant. Although maybe it's a case by case basis

arcticbull 3y ago
It depends where you’re putting the waste heat. If it’s a small river or pond then it’ll heat the pond and meaningfully change the ecosystem. If you drop it into the ocean then nothing really happens because the ocean is pretty big. And a zero carbon source like nuclear will net reduce the temperature of the ocean if it replaces something like coal.
- darth_avocado 3y ago
  That’s not how it works though. The place where you release the water, a local hot spot is created and the heat takes a while to gradually dissipate. If you continuously release hot water, then a permanent localized hot spot is created. This may work for some marine species, but will also be damaging to others. If it affects a keystone species negatively, like say corals, then a larger die off can happen. This is the exact logic why desalination plants are widely considered bad. Yes, if you look at the entire ocean, you’re barely increasing the salinity of the water, but for the local neighborhood where the waste water is released, the salinity goes up to the point that even saltwater fish find it toxic.
  - markdown 3y ago
    So just dump the hot water a few kilometers out, where there's a desert.
  - throwaway09223 3y ago
    It's usually a silly complaint, though. The change is to a small area, and small areas are naturally different temperatures for all sorts of different reasons. Dredging the beach and changing the water elevation will have similar temperature effects. At electric beach it creates a nice, unique ecosystem and there's nothing wrong with that.

rockinghigh 3y ago

Google Maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/d6AchooL8MFjxmoj6 https://maps.app.goo.gl/d6AchooL8MFjxmoj6

throwitaway222 3y ago

I probably stared at the picture a little too long.

arbitrandomuser 3y ago

I didn't know what submechanophobia was , Is it really common to have a word for itself ?

yreg 3y ago
I don't suppose that too many people are terrified of these things, but many (including me) find them mildly unsettling. I imagine trypophobia is similar in that sense.
- EmuAGR 3y ago
  I agree with you, that would be the exact word I would've used to describe it. Also, since I was a child, I've been scared of pool drains for the treatment system.
IlliOnato 3y ago
Submechanophobia has a wikipedia page, which also indicates that there is some scientific research into this phobia (which does not have a good explanation). So it's not a one-person problem.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- kossTKR 3y ago
  I have a theory that this, like fear of heights, claustrophobia, agoraphobia etc. are actually "extremely natural" because they're all good for survival ie. instincts unlearned somehow culturally, but would be the baseline if you teleported a Palaeolithic, Sumerian, Viking or whatever into our modern complex and somewhat claustrophobic technological life.
  - rrr_oh_man 3y ago
    > like fear of heights, claustrophobia, agoraphobia etc. are actually "extremely natural" That’s a lot of copium, frankly

UberFly 3y ago

A phobia or just really disconcerting? I guess it just depends.

aqme28 3y ago

I've swam with dolphins there. It's really beautiful for how accessible it is as a snorkeling spot

bertil 3y ago

If you are worried water will get cooler, let me tell you about global boiling… Cynical joke aside, renewable electrical systems also need cooling: heat pumps for AC, but also cooling batteries, solar panels if you want them to perform well, etc. I feel like it’s best if that heat is used in heat pumps to warm up water for showers, but there might be some waste left for Electric Beach.

thomky 3y ago

I've snorkeled at Electric Beach -- underwater you could hear the buzzing from the powerplant. Somewhat surreal and I'm surprised it didn't bother the marine life.

drzaiusapelord 3y ago

On the flipside, its not as obvious what coal burning exhaust has done to other parts of the biome. I imagine its extremely damaging. Not to mention, what it does to human lungs. Evolution didn't create all this life with the assumption there would be electric beaches. I suspect the loss of this warmth will be a small price to pay to reduce emissions and that other parts of the biome will flourish in-line with how evolution developed life in that regions for billions of years.