On the topic of hydrogen, there is a lot more going on in my area than I had previously been aware of.
Ummm and hydro? Geothermal?
Hydroelectric power is tapped out. There aren’t any more rivers to dam for power and a few hydroelectric power plants in the West produce less power than the used to and are in danger of shutting down due to low water levels behind the dams they are part of.
Geothermal might work if you live on top of a volcano. Japan is essentially on top of a series of volcanoes but only 0.25% of their power is produced geothermally.
Data from Nevada Energy for the source of electricity for my area;
7.04% from geothermal
3.60% hydroelectric
2.49% wind
Canada has massive geothermal potential but only recently is gaining traction for possible development.
Meanwhile Iceland is 90% geothermal and New Zealand 20%.
Iceland is interesting because their grid is completely isolated meaning the only way to “export” their power is through industrial processes like aluminum production.
Unfortunately the term “geothermal” has also been co-opted to describe ground sourced heat pump systems which clouds discussion.
That accounts for 13.13%Where does the other 86.87 come from?
Probably a lot of Nevada’s electrical power comes from natural-gas fired steam turbines. I wonder how much comes from the Delta, Utah coal-fired plant?
Other common sources, mostly natural gas. Just an example of geothermal source of energy, nearly double what hydroelectric provides.
And now if you think about it, you understand the issue that cannot be spoken of, not to mention the whole issue of why.
Coal sourced energy is listed as 1.41%, this data is from last year.
Some states (Calif for example) that use coal-energy from the Delta, Utah plant try to obfuscate the data, saying little to no of their electrical energy comes from coal fired plants operating in their state.
Guess you will have to PM me, not aware of what you speak.
Depends on your definition of hydroelectric. Is electricity generated from Ocean Wave movement considered hydroelectric?
How are Ocean Waves Converted to Electricity? | Department of Energy
Another thing to consider is this: in some parts of the country there are rolling blackouts when the weather stays extremely hot for extended periods. What are we going to us for power when 200 million people in the US plug their EVs in overnight to recharge?
Riiiight…
Because nobody in the electrical utility/generation industry has any plans–either currently underway, or upcoming–that will increase the capacity of the electric grid well before 200 million EVs are being charged.
As another forum member already pointed out, in the early days of the IC auto industry, there was virtually no infrastructure to provide gasoline. And yet, the IC auto industry grew, and the infrastructure for gasoline supply grew along with it, and was adequate to the task.
The moral of the story is that… Things change.
2 Likes
Well yes of course but there was a market for gas and the market or at least standard oil accommodated the market. So far the market for Evs is about 13% with most of that in California.
But the artificial push for evs is to reduce hydrocarbons and science for providing sufficient power under these constraint is just not there. Unlike standard oil who could just build refineries and suppliers who already sold kerosene. But like said what does logic or science mean on the path to utopia?
1 Like
… or on the other path?
The path to Armageddon?
I suppose that, for the perpetually pessimistic, that specter exists as a possibility.
I prefer to be optimistic, and to believe that society evolves–eventually–in a positive way.
2 Likes
Yes of course be positive but history is not on your side. Ask the Russians or the French or the Chinese, or others how that worked out for
Them a few centuries and millions of lives ago how that worked out for them. Count the morons. Might need two hands.