Texas could phase out coal for solar & wind energy, but ...

[Opti]

Timely article and even funny to me since I don't live in Texas. They could make great use of their renewable energy sources, except for the fact their grid is not up to the task. 


www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/texas-has-enough-wind-and-solar-power-to-phase-out-coal-entirely-there-s-just-one-huge-catch/ar-AAVnJnj?ocid=msedgntp


Wind and solar power are growing fast in Texas.



So fast, in fact, that it would only take one third of the solar and wind energy projects that have already been proposed could almost entirely phase out coal in the state, according to a new study by researchers at Houston's Rice University.



That’s huge news, considering President Joe Biden's goal for the U.S. to have a carbon-free power sector by 2035.



But there is a huge catch: The state’s energy grid is a mess, and it is standing in the way of a faster transition in Texas away from coal and towards renewables.



"Transmission lines are the leading bottleneck that is slowing down the growth of wind and solar," Daniel Cohan, one of the study's co-authors, told Fortune.

[Tiny]

I find it weird that American energy companies (a metaphor for Capitalism) and even our Government see the writing on the wall (renewable energy is the way to go) but it seems the American people are constantly fed a line about how bad and outlandish renewable energy is...

Maybe it's my news sources?

This doesn't mean I think renewable energy sources are 100% perfect and what we have right now is the end all and be and there is no other way we can improve on what we have.


I came across this youtube video (yeah, I know youtube...not really a good source - but it doesn't have all the warning bells of conspiracy theory slanted videos and it also mentions some actual output numbers and costs - and shows some of the installations and how they are working in other countries. (the key here being other countries... and why going to renewables MIGHT be a national concern - what happens when America falls behind the curve? what happens when other countries become richer and nicer places to live and work than America?? there's some chance that "cheap, abundant, clean energy" MIGHT make other countries hubs for manufacturing coupled with a higher standard of living for their workers --- kind of like the 40's and 50's here in a America - the Good Old Days the Party of trump was trying to restore America to.)

[Opti]

Tiny, thanks for posting the video. Its long enough I only chose to watch part of it, but it is interesting to see that different ways of generating wind or green energy are being looked at.

[weltschmerz]

Can Texas generate Hydro? 95% of Quebec's energy is renewable, kinetic energy from water.

[pulmonarymd]

Not to a significant degree, too dry

[weltschmerz]

Mar 25, 2022 11:33:06 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Not to a significant degree, too dry

That's too bad. Thanks.

[tractor]

Mar 25, 2022 11:18:48 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Can Texas generate Hydro? 95% of Quebec's energy is renewable, kinetic energy from water.

To make matters worse, even in areas where we have abundant water, we would never be able to secure the environmental permits necessary to construct new hydro. We do appreciate the ones in Canada though, some of that energy flows across the border.

[weltschmerz]

Mar 25, 2022 15:00:07 GMT -5 tractor said:

Mar 25, 2022 11:18:48 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Can Texas generate Hydro? 95% of Quebec's energy is renewable, kinetic energy from water.

To make matters worse, even in areas where we have abundant water, we would never be able to secure the environmental permits necessary to construct new hydro. We do appreciate the ones in Canada though, some of that energy flows across the border.

So, if it's a toss-up between coal-fired power plants or Hydro, the power plants would come out ahead, despite the environmental permits?
Hydro is much cleaner and renewable.

[tractor]

Mar 25, 2022 16:59:38 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Mar 25, 2022 15:00:07 GMT -5 tractor said:

To make matters worse, even in areas where we have abundant water, we would never be able to secure the environmental permits necessary to construct new hydro. We do appreciate the ones in Canada though, some of that energy flows across the border.

So, if it's a toss-up between coal-fired power plants or Hydro, the power plants would come out ahead, despite the environmental permits?
Hydro is much cleaner and renewable.

Only from an air toxics standard. Hydro impact fisheries by warming the water and preventing fish migration. You also have the loss of significant habitat by altering the hydrologic regime (flooding) on the backside of the dam. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for hydro, it's just really hard to permit here in the states, especially when most environmental groups are pushing to remove existing dams, not build new ones.

Most large hydro in Canada is in unoccupied areas where a conversion of a few thousand acres of habitat caused by the impoundment is viewed as an enhancement, not a detriment like here in the states.

[pulmonarymd]

A good example of all or nothing thinking. Every form of energy generation requires trade offs. The best choice depends on many factors. It is why an all of the above approach makes the most sense.

[kadee79]

And let's not forget...if droughts keep happening in various areas...hydro may not be as reliable in the future as it is now or in the past.  It depends on water being there...which may not happen as the planet warms more.

[Ombud]

Sounds like a good growth industry to sink some investment $$s into!

[Tiny]

So, Lake Powell is perhaps 6 months from dropping to a level that cannot produce electricity for 5.8 Million households/business in 7 states.

to replace this lost power - it looks like natural gas will be used.

Looking back to 2015/2016 - is this why the Republican party was all about American Coal Miners and building more coal burning plants (I'm guessing in the areas that will be effected by Lake Powell not having enough water to generate electricity? )

But that kind of leaves an elephant in the room - if there's less water from the Colorado River - isn't THAT going to effect more than 5.8 million households/business that rely on electricity from the water? Yeah, having electricity is nice - but you can't drink it or water crops or livestock with it.


Thoughts inside my head (American's are stupid... all that news media coverage of pipelines and green energy and NOT one mention of the problems being faced.  
Kind of hard to make any sort of a decision about an issue when all you got is a headline to "argue" about.   but WOW!  isn't that a great way for the wealthy/people in charge to control the narrative so they remain wealthy/in charge - who cares if Americans suffer they don't count. )

[tractor]

May 6, 2022 12:09:00 GMT -5 Tiny said:

So, Lake Powell is perhaps 6 months from dropping to a level that cannot produce electricity for 5.8 Million households/business in 7 states.

to replace this lost power - it looks like natural gas will be used.

Looking back to 2015/2016 - is this why the Republican party was all about American Coal Miners and building more coal burning plants (I'm guessing in the areas that will be effected by Lake Powell not having enough water to generate electricity? )

But that kind of leaves an elephant in the room - if there's less water from the Colorado River - isn't THAT going to effect more than 5.8 million households/business that rely on electricity from the water? Yeah, having electricity is nice - but you can't drink it or water crops or livestock with it.


Thoughts inside my head (American's are stupid... all that news media coverage of pipelines and green energy and NOT one mention of the problems being faced.  
Kind of hard to make any sort of a decision about an issue when all you got is a headline to "argue" about.   but WOW!  isn't that a great way for the wealthy/people in charge to control the narrative so they remain wealthy/in charge - who cares if Americans suffer they don't count. )

Don't try to apply logic, it confuses the environmental groups. We all should have to suffer for the common good.

[djAdvocate]

May 5, 2022 20:59:52 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Sounds like a good growth industry to sink some investment $$s into!

what does?  wind?  solar?  infrastructure?  coal?

[Ombud]

May 7, 2022 13:23:15 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

May 5, 2022 20:59:52 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Sounds like a good growth industry to sink some investment $$s into!

what does?  wind?  solar?  infrastructure?  coal?

wind, solar, infrastructure

[Tiny]

May 6, 2022 18:22:11 GMT -5 tractor said:

May 6, 2022 12:09:00 GMT -5 Tiny said:

So, Lake Powell is perhaps 6 months from dropping to a level that cannot produce electricity for 5.8 Million households/business in 7 states.

to replace this lost power - it looks like natural gas will be used.

Looking back to 2015/2016 - is this why the Republican party was all about American Coal Miners and building more coal burning plants (I'm guessing in the areas that will be effected by Lake Powell not having enough water to generate electricity? )

But that kind of leaves an elephant in the room - if there's less water from the Colorado River - isn't THAT going to effect more than 5.8 million households/business that rely on electricity from the water? Yeah, having electricity is nice - but you can't drink it or water crops or livestock with it.


Thoughts inside my head (American's are stupid... all that news media coverage of pipelines and green energy and NOT one mention of the problems being faced.  
Kind of hard to make any sort of a decision about an issue when all you got is a headline to "argue" about.   but WOW!  isn't that a great way for the wealthy/people in charge to control the narrative so they remain wealthy/in charge - who cares if Americans suffer they don't count. )

Don't try to apply logic, it confuses the environmental groups. We all should have to suffer for the common good.

what?  If anything the environmental groups saw this all coming... I'm guessing they expected it.    I was going towards more of a "we have this problem, here's some ideas (and their consequences) for solving the problem".    Throwing more coal burning plants or natural gas plants at the problem doesn't really solve the problem.  OK, there probably isn't an actual one and done solution.    But the equivalent of "duct tape" doesn't qualify as a solution at all.  It just pushing having to do something further out into the future.... (OMG!!! Is that why there's all the "world is gonna end" talk   If the world is gonna end soon what does it matter what "solutions" to use. Only look for the quick fix.  Short term. solutions.)    

I'm pretty sure the water problem with the Colorado river has been talked about for decades.    As far as I can tell - there was mostly waffling and pushing the problem off into the future.     

I wonder if it's an "immediacy" problem - as in we can just push a button and it will be done... no need to plan or consider how long something will take to construct... just do it when we need it!  yeah, yeah, that's the ticket.   

[Artemis Windsong]

May 6, 2022 12:09:00 GMT -5 Tiny said:

So, Lake Powell is perhaps 6 months from dropping to a level that cannot produce electricity for 5.8 Million households/business in 7 states.

to replace this lost power - it looks like natural gas will be used.

Looking back to 2015/2016 - is this why the Republican party was all about American Coal Miners and building more coal burning plants (I'm guessing in the areas that will be effected by Lake Powell not having enough water to generate electricity? )

But that kind of leaves an elephant in the room - if there's less water from the Colorado River - isn't THAT going to effect more than 5.8 million households/business that rely on electricity from the water? Yeah, having electricity is nice - but you can't drink it or water crops or livestock with it.


Thoughts inside my head (American's are stupid... all that news media coverage of pipelines and green energy and NOT one mention of the problems being faced.  
Kind of hard to make any sort of a decision about an issue when all you got is a headline to "argue" about.   but WOW!  isn't that a great way for the wealthy/people in charge to control the narrative so they remain wealthy/in charge - who cares if Americans suffer they don't count. )

Flaming Gorge reservoir in WY to the rescue.  500,000 acres of water are dedicated to Lake Powell.

www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/spilling-water-from-flaming-gorge-to-feed-lake-powell-feds-will-try-to-keep-glen-canyon-dam-operational/ar-AAWUB9g?msclkid=362e3a66cf0b11ec8f8d1385b57717df