4 ms·
Solar doesn't compete with coal or gas - it's still not reliable enough to replace base load requirements, and skewed economics around solar have killed new or
by EricE 2y ago
Solar doesn't compete with coal or gas - it's still not reliable enough to replace base load requirements, and skewed economics around solar have killed new or replacement base load projects. Indeed, the California and Texas screwed up politics and economics are chief contributors to their power instability. My favorite is in CA - mandatory switch to electric cars then ban people from charging them due to electricity shortages. You can't make this stuff up.
- Lutger 2y agoRenewables don't do reliable baseload _yet_, that is true. But not being able to completely replace gas does not equate not competing at all. That is a fallacy. For example, we are a laggard on renewables (Netherlands), but are catching up nicely: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/10/nearly-half-the-electricity-produced-in-the-netherlands-is-now-renewable https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2024/10/nearly-half-the-electr... If you look at the chart it is clear that as renewables are rising (both wind and solar), fossil based electricity declines (including gas). This is easily understood when you consider that gas is used to generate way more than the baseload. When solar energy is producing, it is more often than not cheaper than gas, and when it isn't it is easy enough to supplement with gas. That means solar competes, but doesn't replace. There are lots of problems with the transition we are making, some are real, some are due to stupidity and others to greed and malice. It doesn't help that the solutions have become so politicized. I'm convinced that at the end of the transition we'll have an abundant amount of cheap, renewable and clean energy.