United States Corrupt Twattery

[Bodhi]

No, but reliable power sucks, haven't you heard?

 

[DaGaffer]

Who wants coal when solar is less than half the price?

Americans in reviving 20th century jobs shock. And actually its not solar that's their problem; shale gas is cheaper as well.

Wont be for long once they start mining it again.

Only if they start building more coal power plants. They've closed loads so coal power (which is 90% of all coal use in the US) is effectively capped by plant usage. And opening new ones isn't straightforward, because the states issue the planning permission and they've been generally rejecting applications on environmental grounds for a while now. I'm sure you'll get some red states that allow new plants (although would you spend the capital on a coal plant that might get closed five minutes after the democrats get in? Its not a very stable environment for long-term capital projects in the US right now), but the high population areas like California and the north-east definitely won't, and may not even buy coal-fired electricity generated out of state.

 

[Job]

So where are they getting their power from, it sure aint from solar and wind.

 

[DaGaffer]

So where are they getting their power from, it sure aint from solar and wind.

 

[Job]

8% for non hydro...thats generation of course...actual usage is a different thing.

 

[caLLous]

How would you go about separating power usage for a specific source?

 

[Scouse]

Production is all that matters. Job's just being daft, as per...

 

[Raven]

...Not entirely...the problem with hydro and solar is still storage. Hydro is generating all the time* you cannot increase capacity to meet temporary demand, without building more units. All you can do is start shutting them down when not required which is never as renewables don't make up 100% generation. Solar obviously only works when its sunny and again, you cannot just boost generation without building more units. Renewables are mostly an infinite source that have a constant, unchangeable input, we need to learn how best to manage the output.

In the meantime, lets stop fucking about and build more nuclear reactors while we get our heads around the problem with renewables.

*mostly, tidal shit obviously only works when tidal forces are in play, by design.

 

[Wij]

Hopefully I can't see coal making a comeback in the US. Shale gas is cheap and gas plant is simpler to build. Why would anyone bother especially knowing that those coal plants might get shafted with a heavy carbon tax when the next administration comes in.

 

[fettoken]

Don't they use giant capacitors for storing energy as well? Also, i'm sure there's some way to regulate water flow.

Not sure about accuracy, but this makes for some interesting statistics:

List of largest power stations - Wikipedia

 

[Moriath]

...Not entirely...the problem with hydro and solar is still storage. Hydro is generating all the time* you cannot increase capacity to meet temporary demand, without building more units. All you can do is start shutting them down when not required which is never as renewables don't make up 100% generation. Solar obviously only works when its sunny and again, you cannot just boost generation without building more units. Renewables are mostly an infinite source that have a constant, unchangeable input, we need to learn how best to manage the output.

In the meantime, lets stop fucking about and build more nuclear reactors while we get our heads around the problem with renewables.

*mostly, tidal shit obviously only works when tidal forces are in play, by design.

Hoover dam is a hydro plant. Its not tidal. Got two massive turbine towers.

And in the uk dinorwig hydro plant has a massive lake at the top of a mountain and it emptys it into a lower one for peak demand generation. It can be switched on very fast and cover world cup half time serges for example. It then pumps the water back up when demand is at its lowest and there is sspare capacity in the network.

 

[Raven]

Hoover dam is a hydro plant. Its not tidal. Got two massive turbine towers.

And in the uk dinorwig hydro plant has a massive lake at the top of a mountain and it emptys it into a lower one for peak demand generation. It can be switched on very fast and cover world cup half time serges for example. It then pumps the water back up when demand is at its lowest and there is sspare capacity in the network.

FH background is green.

 

[Moriath]

FH background is green.

Depends which style you choose

 

[DaGaffer]

How would you go about separating power usage for a specific source?

I'm sure it would be possible to monitor unused capacity from renewables, which would give you a usage ratio. In Europe they're trying to minimise wasted capacity by arbitrage (links to shove capacity to different timezones for example). Big-assed capacitors is another option so renewables aren't wasted, but its not a mature technology yet. The other way might be using renewables to crack water for hydrogen.

 

[Job]

Production is all that matters. Job's just being daft, as per...

No, thats why Musk is all over home battery storage, solar and wind can produce GWs on paper and if you X the sun by the panels you get a figure, but less than 10% of that is actually REPLACING conventional, which obviously is pointless if it isnt.
They are simply not turning down coal, gas or nukes plants just because the sun is shining or that its windy, the power grid cant work like that atm.
But solar and wind would be perfect for charging batteries, with batteries, you really could start closing down coal plants.

 

[Job]

I'm sure it would be possible to monitor unused capacity from renewables, which would give you a usage ratio. In Europe they're trying to minimise wasted capacity by arbitrage (links to shove capacity to different timezones for example). Big-assed capacitors is another option so renewables aren't wasted, but its not a mature technology yet. The other way might be using renewables to crack water for hydrogen.

They are slowly building a Europe wide grid of renewables so we can send power all over when needed, which is probably ultimately a better idea than batteries once you get itworking right, but you will still need huge backup for say, the Euro cup finals.

 

[CorNokZ]

Monty Python couldn't have come up with this


View: https://youtu.be/Qi1HYMbUy9I

 

[Wij]

The Senate Committee on Russian interference in the election is well worth a watch. Putin doesn't invest that much in trolls, hackers and twitter bots without expecting to gain from it.

Unlike the investigation in the House that Nunes is just fucking about with.

 

[Wij]

Summary, but try to watch some of it...

Opinion | Why the Senate’s Russia hearing matters

 

[Embattle]

God and coal: Trump won on both issues in West Virginia but inspires doubt

 

[Raven]

View: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/trump-forgets-to-sign-executive-order-911564355790


The boy looks flustered.

 

[Job]

A very nice colourised pic of Abraham Lincoln 1860.

 

[dysfunction]

His nose is nearly as big as @Deebs'

 

[Hawkwind]

Hopefully I can't see coal making a comeback in the US. Shale gas is cheap and gas plant is simpler to build. Why would anyone bother especially knowing that those coal plants might get shafted with a heavy carbon tax when the next administration comes in.

It's got more to do with the supposed creation of jobs in the coal & steel towns, or at least the illusion of an attempt.

 

[Job]

All gone quiet on the Trump front, but hes still at it.

Trump's border wall just got real: The builders have submitted their plans

 

[Raven]

It's a case of loon saturation. The pendulum is nearly at full swing.

 

[Wij]

It's got more to do with the supposed creation of jobs in the coal & steel towns, or at least the illusion of an attempt.

Who's going to pay for those jobs?

No one.

 

[Hawkwind]

Who's going to pay for those jobs?

No one.

Agreed, it was an election promise to create jobs so he has to seen to try. Then, when it fails, he will just blame it all on a corrupt political system or the CIA

Just like the pipeline being made from US Steel, when 90% was already purchased and the type used wasn't even made in large quantities in the US!

 

[Job]

Coal is viable, you just stop subsidising renewables and loosen the strait jacket on the industry.

 

[Scouse]

Coal is viable, you just stop subsidising renewables and loosen the strait jacket on the industry.

Or stop subsidising coal, which it is massively, and suddenly it becomes un-viable again.