3 ms·
In an ice storm and cold cloudy snap that sweeps the country, NO lithium batteries will save the grid. I'm weary of this tunnel vision of the absurd. The only '
by HocusLocus 1y ago
In an ice storm and cold cloudy snap that sweeps the country, NO lithium batteries will save the grid. I'm weary of this tunnel vision of the absurd. The only 'storage' that works is to pump water uphill with 'surplus' energy, and there is not and never will be a surplus. And these evaporartion tanks are on a scale that ecologists have to remember countless horror stories (eg., Glenn Canyon Dam). And of course there's always "mfft!" (another scheme with no numbers behind it so it's credible because I'm talking about it).
The last time there was anything rational on the table was Perry under the Trump administration's 30-day rule proposal ( https://www.nucnet.org/news/nuclear-is-vital-to-us-national-security-as-doe-works-on-rescue-proposals-6-2-2019 https://www.nucnet.org/news/nuclear-is-vital-to-us-national-... ). It gave a hard industry incentive to any energy supplier who can have 30 days' fuel on site. This means nuclear and coal. This was no gimmick, it was the first time anyone faced reality about National Security as related to Energy for the grid and survival. And now AI datacenter yadda yadda, we're also talking about the luxury of keeping schools heated in Winter. Adverse weather even for a week is grid down game over for wind and solar. Proven natural gas are ~300 years, joy! As soon as they get around to sending pregnant whales across the ocean (losing ~20% of the gas-energy in cooling) it may even last 50 years! Before we have to go to endless war again.