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The question is whether you use solar PV or build more coal plants to supply them. The latter makes people sicker, but more dependent on the government, so you
by coryrc 4mo ago
The question is whether you use solar PV or build more coal plants to supply them. The latter makes people sicker, but more dependent on the government, so you can guess which one gets the tax breaks and which one gets tariffs and international politics to make it more expensive to acquire.
- budsniffer952 4mo agoCoal technology is cheap and wide spread. PV technology is not, yet.
- dalyons 4mo agoHuh? Solar is widely acknowledged to be significantly cheaper than building new coal. And it is everywhere, you can just buy containers of it and have it delivered anywhere in the world.
- budsniffer952 4mo agoYes. You can just buy containers of PV equipment from China and have it delivered anywhere in the world. Until they decide not to sell it to you, or they decide to stop subsidizing it. Or we go to war with them. Then you're gonna wish you had built those coal plants. Have you paid attention to anything since 2020? Are you paying attention to anything now? Suggesting PV is "cheaper" because of the per-watt cost to install it misses so much reality it's hard to take seriously. We live in the now, not some idealized future state. We need energy NOW. Do you think solar cells are immune to supply and demand? And that the economics will not be affected by a global shift?
- coryrc 4mo agoPV panels can't be switched off remotely because China doesn't like you. Once within your country's borders, they are yours.
- snovv_crash 4mo agoPV can't be switched off once sold, coal can stop being delivered. Coal is the one that brings centralisation and dependency on external parties, unless you happen to live somewhere with large coal deposits, and even in that case you get all the health problems of putting radioactive soot into the air.