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Europe's and the U.S.'s grids are geographically large.
by cryptonector 2y ago
Europe's and the U.S.'s grids are geographically large.
- Manuel_D 2y agoCorrect, but most generation is still produced close to demand. If you look at a map of where power plants are located (https://synapse.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/201fc98c0d74482d8b3acb0c4cc47f16 https://synapse.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/201fc98c0d74...) you'll see they're concentrated near cities. The grid spans a large area, but most energy is transmitted over a short distance. Renewables, due to their low energy density and specific weather requirements, need to be built in remote areas. This has led to situations where the grid cannot accommodate transmitting the amount of energy that proposed renewable plants will produce: https://www.vox.com/videos/22685707/climate-change-clean-energy-high-voltage-transmission-lines https://www.vox.com/videos/22685707/climate-change-clean-ene... People often cite the decentralized nature of renewables as an advantage. It's not. It's a significant disadvantage as it has a much bigger burden on the transmission infrastructure.