tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post3654575250457802250..comments2023-08-25T05:18:29.312-06:00Comments on Madville Times: No Coal, No Oil by 2030? No Problem! Use Earth, Wind, and Firecaheidelbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03261598066395322681noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-37312778748397429062009-11-15T08:41:54.861-07:002009-11-15T08:41:54.861-07:00Optimism is and admirable trait. But so is realis...Optimism is and admirable trait. But so is realism.<br /><br />Jacobson and Delucchi, the authors of "A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030" in Scientific American are sadly lacking in the latter.<br /><br />You can get some perspective on the meaning of their <a href="http://climatesanity.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/scientific-americans-a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030-the-cost-2/" rel="nofollow"><b>under-estimated $100 trillion price tag</b></a> for their plan.<br /><br />They also suggest that building their proposed system would be on par with the construction of the US Interstate Highway System. However, the Interstate Highway System, the largest public works program in history, is hundreds of time smaller than their energy system <a href="http://climatesanity.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/comparing-the-interstate-highway-system-to-scientific-americans-a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030/" rel="nofollow"><b>in both cost and physical size.</b></a><br /><br />Best regards,<br />Tom Moriarty<br /><a href="http://climatesanity.wordpress.com/about/" rel="nofollow"><b>ClimateSanity</b></a>Tom Moriartyhttp://climatesanity.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-69088617746579372842009-11-14T11:37:46.285-07:002009-11-14T11:37:46.285-07:00CAH:
Easily, if we simply bought standardized des...CAH:<br /><br />Easily, if we simply bought standardized designs from the French. But we're Americans and that would make way too much sense.<br /><br />In fact, it would cost less than 1 trillion (assuming we want to replace ALL of our use including oil and switch to electric vehicles for the majority). Our grid right now is composed of 20% nukes with ~100 antiquated plants. It would only take about another 200 modern plants to take over the rest of the load. @ a conservative estimate of 2 billion/plant that's 400 billion to replace our base load. <br /><br />The best estimates that I've seen for how much more electric power we would need to go to all electric vehicles (not long haul trucking) is 2x our current generation capacity. So, another 300 plants @ 2B each is another 600 billion for a total of ~1 trillion. <br /><br />1 trillion for energy independence, with no need for massive grid changes. And this would be guaranteed base-load power. No need for integrated storage. It's the only realistic way to go.Tony Amerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00926509220711589398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-26051357397511545592009-11-14T07:22:29.515-07:002009-11-14T07:22:29.515-07:00Thanks Corey.
How does algae compare to switch gra...Thanks Corey.<br />How does algae compare to switch grass? Think of all those cow ponds, private ponds and quarries all across the state. Not to mention the glacial lakes. Then I'm sure we'd see a boom of man made lakes as people would want to get into private industry. <br /><br />Uh oh... That means we'd probably get hung up on policy instead of just doing it so we don't overdo it. <br /><br />I keep having visions of Girl Scout camp with all the girls getting out of the lake with slimy green running out of their swimsuits. We had to turn the hose on them. That stuff doesn't come out of the swimsuit liners in one wash. <br /><br />Usually someone has to make a comment about our pond during the natural blooms from temperature changes. So there would be peak production times.Aprilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08623031275329709230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-14619496907079894762009-11-14T06:46:17.896-07:002009-11-14T06:46:17.896-07:00Roger, if we could assume a rational and free mark...Roger, if we could assume a rational and free market where certain big players would not try to exclude new entrants to protect their old profit models for short-term gain, you'd be correct. Kind of like single-payer health care: we'd save money and lives, but the insurers who profit from inefficiency keep fighting the most rational solution.<br /><br />April, keep looking for those good ideas! The Poet-Broin ethanol plant near Chancellor has been generating electricity by burning scrap wood, old pallets, I think. It might not be hard to convince such plants to adopt other alternatives like solar and algae. Keep those ideas coming!<br /><br />Tony, could we build nuclear plants to replace all fossil fuels in twenty years?caheidelbergerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03261598066395322681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-17050895618485431412009-11-13T22:59:56.671-07:002009-11-13T22:59:56.671-07:00And since it really is so much cheaper than any of...And since it really is so much cheaper than any of the other energies, it won't need any legislation at all to implement...Roger Beranekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11816186933620482440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-6921298268809375002009-11-13T20:38:37.446-07:002009-11-13T20:38:37.446-07:00His analysis of nuclear power ignores the carbon s...His analysis of nuclear power ignores the carbon savings over not needing to reconstruct our power grid. The grid he would need requires integrated storage which also isn't factored into the "carbon savings" of renewables. Seriously, nukes are the only feasible way to go if we want to change our power grid in any major way quickly. Integration of renewables will take decades at least.Tony Amerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00926509220711589398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-38012867296306469602009-11-13T14:57:24.382-07:002009-11-13T14:57:24.382-07:00Mike,
I love the idea!
I have algae in my little ...Mike, <br />I love the idea!<br />I have algae in my little 10x10 pond, who do I send it to? <br /><br />Maybe that will help the tourist industry since people won't have to deal with the algae when they swim in the lake?<br />AprilAprilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08623031275329709230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-26882725857055690632009-11-13T14:53:27.214-07:002009-11-13T14:53:27.214-07:00If they put their own turbines up. There is no exp...If they put their own turbines up. There is no expense after implementation. <br /><br />This is something that is happening now in other places in the United States. Policy is one thing for a group and/or community effort on the grid. <br /><br />Self-sustaining is a whole other issue. Ethanol plants could start bringing in a demand in this area for personal energy systems.Aprilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08623031275329709230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-47490709723609296972009-11-13T11:59:42.252-07:002009-11-13T11:59:42.252-07:00A. Dakota,
The reason has to do with the expense ...A. Dakota,<br /><br />The reason has to do with the expense of wind and solar versus natural gas. By Obama forcing more expensive forms of energy down America's throat, our economy will be destroyed forcing companies to relocate to China and India. So much for Obama creating jobs.Steve Sibsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15329279.post-73498257993596519472009-11-13T09:26:31.185-07:002009-11-13T09:26:31.185-07:00I have often wondered why the ethanol plants don&#...I have often wondered why the ethanol plants don't have their own turbines and solar panels to replace the natural gas for production. They wouldn't need to wait for the transmission lines because it would be a personal energy system. Since most of the plants are out in a field they have room to store energy that is over produced.Aprilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08623031275329709230noreply@blogger.com