September 03, 2024
The Long Road to Renewable
Jim Church
Repost Oscar L. Martin, LinkedIn
Deploying the (American) grid required by 2050 by solar and wind would take 140 years to build. But that is not the only problem. The wet dreams of solar and wind advocates are nothing less than delusional hallucination. The diagram below by Mother Jones (https://lnkd.in/gFVFSK_D) shows visually how the roadmap to net zero using intermittent renewables is a fantasy.
The problem of the massive land requirements, or the need for a backup grid to keep the lights on are still unsolved problems. But even without those issues, in the best scenario, it would take solar and wind 140 years to clean the American power grid.
A group of Princeton University academics released a report that estimated that, to reach net zero targets, the U.S. will need to increase its transmission capacity by 3.2 times its existing infrastructure by 2050. A more optimistic analysis by the pro-renewables National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggested that the U.S. could reach 90% renewable electricity with 'only' a twofold increase in its existing 240,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. Based on data from The C Three Group | Yes Energy, which tracks the growth of energy infrastructure, the U.S. high-voltage transmission system grew by about 1,700 miles per year between 2008 and 2021.
At this rate, it would take about 44 years to achieve the 2035 goals and about 140 years to reach the National Renewable Energy Laboratory requirements for 2050. And this is under the optimistic scenario.
Note that the additional land taken only by the new power lines required by solar and wind would be larger than the state of Pennsylvania, add the land required by new solar fields and wind blades imported from China.
Wind and solar have already exploited the easy opportunities where they did not need new power lines. The renewables industry is now facing the reality that future deployments will not be as fast and economical as before.
This challenges the assumption that wind and solar can reduce emissions faster than other clean technologies such as nuclear that do not depend on the slow, costly, and environmentally disruptive construction of long new power lines. Just replace coal plants with plug-in nuclear reactors, no need for additional power lines.
Repost Oscar L. Martin, LinkedIn
Deploying the (American) grid required by 2050 by solar and wind would take 140 years to build. But that is not the only problem. The wet dreams of solar and wind advocates are nothing less than delusional hallucination. The diagram below by Mother Jones (https://lnkd.in/gFVFSK_D) shows visually how the roadmap to net zero using intermittent renewables is a fantasy.
The problem of the massive land requirements, or the need for a backup grid to keep the lights on are still unsolved problems. But even without those issues, in the best scenario, it would take solar and wind 140 years to clean the American power grid.
A group of Princeton University academics released a report that estimated that, to reach net zero targets, the U.S. will need to increase its transmission capacity by 3.2 times its existing infrastructure by 2050. A more optimistic analysis by the pro-renewables National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggested that the U.S. could reach 90% renewable electricity with 'only' a twofold increase in its existing 240,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. Based on data from The C Three Group | Yes Energy, which tracks the growth of energy infrastructure, the U.S. high-voltage transmission system grew by about 1,700 miles per year between 2008 and 2021.
At this rate, it would take about 44 years to achieve the 2035 goals and about 140 years to reach the National Renewable Energy Laboratory requirements for 2050. And this is under the optimistic scenario.
Note that the additional land taken only by the new power lines required by solar and wind would be larger than the state of Pennsylvania, add the land required by new solar fields and wind blades imported from China.
Wind and solar have already exploited the easy opportunities where they did not need new power lines. The renewables industry is now facing the reality that future deployments will not be as fast and economical as before.
This challenges the assumption that wind and solar can reduce emissions faster than other clean technologies such as nuclear that do not depend on the slow, costly, and environmentally disruptive construction of long new power lines. Just replace coal plants with plug-in nuclear reactors, no need for additional power lines.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
09:38 AM
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There is a slight glimmer of hope for the future as the US Nuclear commission has green lighted the construction of a demo phase IV nuclear power plant in Tenn. It uses a sodium based cooling solvent that dissipates heat better then light water and it and the rods are to in ceramic casing said to be earthquake resistant. China is already constructing one to be running by Dec 6. Some European countries are seeing the light and changing legislation on use of nuclear.
Posted by: Mike at September 03, 2024 10:01 PM (jQ7m5)
2
Thanks Mike. Yeah; the tech is greatly improved in nuclear over the old reactors and they are much, much safer. But try convincing the public, which has been conditioned to think nuclear is going to mean two-headed babies and webbed feet and the like.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at September 04, 2024 06:29 AM (y7Jiw)
3
This was very helpful. Thanks for the detailed post! social media smm panel
Posted by: SMM Panel at September 05, 2024 04:26 AM (0o5Nk)
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