Repurposing reservoirs

[BigBry]

If you really do work for a utility, you need to do a little more studying and research as to what’s going on in the industry, and particularly in the west where you live. If you do, you’ll find that utility scale grid storage projects are being built like crazy and the price is dropping like a rock. And, as you kinda sorta admitted, residential battery storage is a fast growing market and forecasts have it being on par or cheaper than solar in five years or so.

Also, I don’t believe for a second that your employer built a utility scale solar project just to look green and never bothered to hook it up. There are far, far too many watchdogs at every utility, including yours, and they would never allow that to happen or be swept under the rug. It might not yet be online and it may never be online, but there’s a reason and it’s not because they just don’t feel like it. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous.

Of course Bueller, give it the spin you wish. The storage facilities you speak of are are often being built on sites of decommissioned power plants that produced Gigawatts of power. The battery storage is a few hundred mega watts and only good for short term spikes in the grid. Please explain to everyone on this board how we’re going to replace the 5 or 6 gigawatts of power from recently decommissioned plants. Explain how the King in Sacramento is BEGGING PGE to stop decommissioning reactor 2 at Diablo Canyon til at least 2030 to give the state more time to replace its additional 2.2 GW of power. You are disingenuous when you state that the price is dropping like a rock. If you are talking rates, they are sky high. If you speak of cost to produce. Do your homework. Several of the latest storage facilities proposed in my area are on hold due to higher than Expected bids (SGE). Explain to everyone why residential battery (I support wholeheartedly) storage is a fast growing market. Not because people got smart and decided to use solar to be self reliant. Mention that the the state allowed the utility companies to change the rate structure for panel owners and the rate reductions are being phased out (believe it’s 8 years) and the state will subsidize the batteries instead of the rate reductions. That’s why the residential battery storage is booming.

[boneil]

Solar and wind surpassed coal power generation in 2022. Good job everyone

Won't be long and every coal plant will be shut down.

[Bueller]

Of course Bueller, give it the spin you wish. The storage facilities you speak of are are often being built on sites of decommissioned power plants that produced Gigawatts of power. The battery storage is a few hundred mega watts and only good for short term spikes in the grid. Please explain to everyone on this board how we’re going to replace the 5 or 6 gigawatts of power from recently decommissioned plants. Explain how the King in Sacramento is BEGGING PGE to stop decommissioning reactor 2 at Diablo Canyon til at least 2030 to give the state more time to replace its additional 2.2 GW of power. You are disingenuous when you state that the price is dropping like a rock. If you are talking rates, they are sky high. If you speak of cost to produce. Do your homework. Several of the latest storage facilities proposed in my area are on hold due to higher than Expected bids (SGE). Explain to everyone why residential battery (I support wholeheartedly) storage is a fast growing market. Not because people got smart and decided to use solar to be self reliant. Mention that the the state allowed the utility companies to change the rate structure for panel owners and the rate reductions are being phased out (believe it’s 8 years) and the state will subsidize the batteries instead of the rate reductions. That’s why the residential battery storage is booming.

I don’t even know how to respond to you. You covered a lot of ground that I didn’t, yet you implied I somehow did. That said, I can’t really disagree with most of what you wrote, with one notable exception: The price to build and install grid scale storage is in fact dropping very quickly—that’s a fact. Same with residential storage, dropping fast. Sure, rebates are available but the price as a whole is dropping fast, too.

[BigDave65]

Makes about as much sense as turning thousands of acres of prime forest and farmland into solar farms!

[Quillback]

Solar and wind surpassed coal power generation in 2022. Good job everyone

Won't be long and every coal plant will be shut down.

Yeah but CO2, the reason for all the shutdowns, increased in 2022.

[boneil]

Yeah but CO2, the reason for all the shutdowns, increased in 2022.

Sulfur dioxide is the biggest problem with coal powerplants, not CO2. SO2 has immediate and detrimental effects on our health and the environment.

[Quillback]

Sulfur dioxide is the biggest problem with coal powerplants, not CO2. SO2 has immediate and detrimental effects on our health and the environment.

The entire world is focused on CO2, they aren't shutting coal plants down because of SO2. You know that of course.

[boneil]

The entire world is focused on CO2, they aren't shutting coal plants down because of SO2. You know that of course.

There's several reasons for shutting down coal plants. But it all started with SO2. The other big reason for coal being shut down is because it's expensive to maintain. You may want to try and frame the coal issue as a CO2 primary issue, but CO2 reduction is just an added benefit. Solar and Wind is cheaper than coal and Nat Gas is significantly cleaner.

I spent years working in Coal plants. I worked in maintance, I've worked on scrubbers and emmissions systems, I've worked to convert coal to nat gas. Coal is nasty.

[Mike A]

There's several reasons for shutting down coal plants. But it all started with SO2. The other big reason for coal being shut down is because it's expensive to maintain. You may want to try and frame the coal issue as a CO2 primary issue, but CO2 reduction is just an added benefit. Solar and Wind is cheaper than coal and Nat Gas is significantly cleaner.

I spent years working in Coal plants. I worked in maintance, I've worked on scrubbers and emmissions systems, I've worked to convert coal to nat gas. Coal is nasty.

All well and good if the same folks lookin to shut down the coal plants were not as equally vigorous in trying to do the same with gas fired plants.

[boneil]

All well and good if the same folks lookin to shut down the coal plants were not as equally vigorous in trying to do the same with gas fired plants.

I look at gas as the bridge we use to get to fully renewable.

[188Musky]

I look at gas as the bridge we use to get to fully renewable.

In 4,000 -6,000 years.

[boneil]

In 4,000 -6,000 years.

2050, most of our power generation, more than 90% will be Solar, wind and other renewables. Probably a few nukes and gas plants left. Thats my prediction. But we'll probably blow ourselves up by then.

[188Musky]

2050, most of our power generation, more than 90% will be Solar, wind and other renewables. Probably a few nukes and gas plants left. Thats my prediction. But we'll probably blow ourselves up by then.

2050....

It's sad that you're such an advocate for governmental oppression, because that's the only way that happens.

You need to fish more, and worry less about telling 4% of the world's population what is best for them.

[JayLaw]

I say we put these panels on golf courses.

[ProVle]

I say we put these panels on golf courses.

How about all the large black top parking lot's like around Mall's, Large plants etc. like giant car ports.

[boneil]

2050....

It's sad that you're such an advocate for governmental oppression, because that's the only way that happens.

You need to fish more, and worry less about telling 4% of the world's population what is best for them.

If gov't oppressoin is the only way it happens, then why is it Texas, the freest state in the country, that is in the lead for expanding solar and wind. It's because, solar and wind is the cheapest form of energy production.

In fact, we would get more solar if the govt got out of the way. Gov't at the state level in many states have passed laws at the behest of the utility companies to make it more difficult and or expensive for roof top solar. California being one of them. Even Nevada, that has lots of sunlight is fighting solar. Why? Because the utility companies don't want us to be able to produce our own power. We have all the lithium we would ever need in Maine, but gov't is blocking us from getting the mineral.

[LewStulePH.D.]

Maybe Tesla was on to something with that whole free energy thing after all...

Also explains on 'the why' He was whacked...

Bermen heard from Skorzeny that he had personally suffocated Nikola Tesla on January 6, 1943, assisted by fellow-Nazi Reinhard Gehlen. Tesla was then 86 years old.
According to Skorzeny, he and Gehlen had tricked Tesla the previous day into revealing the full details of his most important discoveries. After the murder, they stole the contents of Tesla’s safe, which were delivered to Hitler. (Note, of course, that the US military would have fully repatriated this treasure trove of innovation through Project Paperclip at the end of the war.)

[Aj14]

Put em on the Tennessee River.
It's not like there are any fish there.