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California runs on 100% renewable energy

Was this "brief" period associated with a goldilocks sunlight situation?
If anyone thinks that renewables can totally replace fossil fuel generation they are wrong. Wind and solar are good because there is zero fuel costs with them. Also much lower labor costs. But there will always be a need for online, governor responsive generation to follow the changes in load.
 
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Was this "brief" period associated with a goldilocks sunlight situation?

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If anyone thinks that renewables can totally replace fossil fuel generation they are wrong. Wind and solar are good because there is zero fuel costs with them. Also much lower labor costs. But there will always be a need for online, governor responsive generation to follow the changes in load.
Maybe true, but anybody who thinks the current gig lasts over five more years is not paying attention.
I tend to think that energy generation for all but specialized transport will be leaving fossil fuels behind pretty quickly.
 
Not mad, everybody wants renewable clean energy. Just not fathomable for another 50-70 years. We are “mad” at the 100% misleading headline.
50- 70 years? That’s crazy talk.
But, you know that, IMIRITE?
The truth is, renewables are already more cost effective than fossils.
Duke Power just won a bid to place a big wind farm off of the coast of North Carolina. They have fought clean air and water laws for decades. They have lobbied for less payback for renewable producers who sell surplus to the grid.
The reason they bid on a wind farm tract? Because it will make $en$e.
 
50- 70 years? That’s crazy talk.
But, you know that, IMIRITE?
The truth is, renewables are already more cost effective than fossils.
Duke Power just won a bid to place a big wind farm off of the coast of North Carolina. They have fought clean air and water laws for decades. They have lobbied for less payback for renewable producers who sell surplus to the grid.
The reason they bid on a wind farm tract? Because it will make $en$e.
Yeah. You’re insane if you think all fossil fuels will be wiped anytime soon.
 
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Yeah. You’re insane if you think all fossil fuels will be wiped anytime soon.
I did not say all fossil fuels. Try again. Look at my post #9 in this thread.
You are insane if, according to your first post, you think an almost complete change will take 50-70 years.
It is happening all around us. Look into how much juice Iowa wind farms grab out of the breeze.
Renewables already produce cheaper power and their costs will continue to lessen. Fossil costs will continue to rise.
It is already a no brainer.
 
I did not say all fossil fuels. Try again.
You are insane if, according to your first post, you think an almost complete change will take 50-70 years.
It is happening all around us. Look into how much juice Iowa wind farms grab out of the breeze.
Renewables already produce cheaper power and their costs will continue to lessen. Fossil costs will continue to rise.
It is already a no brainer.
Yeah. All planes and industrial equipment will be electric in the near future? You’re nuts.
 
Yeah. All planes and industrial equipment will be electric in the near future? You’re nuts.
Look at my post #9 in this thread. I refer to specialized transport.
A huge percent of industrial equipment has run electrically for most of the last century.
Trains are driven by electric motors produced on board. The switch to battery packs will be simple.
Take off the blinders.
 
What "maintenance"?

The panels will create hotspots and fires from time to time, usually they can catch them before by flying drone or planes over the solar farms with infrared cameras.

The panels get dirty too so sometimes depending on where they are at they have to hose them down.

Depending on the type of panels, they can either be on one axis or two and are constantly adjusting. They breakdown and have a crew working on them constantly.
 
One issue I have with solar farms is putting them in places where naturally, there would be a forest there. I see a lot of this in North Carolina.

That's counter productive.
 
If anyone thinks that renewables can totally replace fossil fuel generation they are wrong. Wind and solar are good because there is zero fuel costs with them. Also much lower labor costs. But there will always be a need for online, governor responsive generation to follow the changes in load.
Sure would be cool to reduce dependencies on fossil fuels however
 
A couple of months ago, I was in Salt Lake City, doing some work at a new substation. Going through the heart of the city from east to west and up and over the mountains were massive 235,000 volt transmission lines. Talking with the linemen at the substation about it, they said it’s from coal plants in n Wyoming and the power was being sent to California. They were laughing because it’s a way that California can say they’re green because they’re technically not using fossil fuels, just some of the power that is being imported is.
 
One issue I have with solar farms is putting them in places where naturally, there would be a forest there. I see a lot of this in North Carolina.

That's counter productive.
Yeah it's totally dumb. The school districts out here have been installing solar panels covering their parking lots like giant 16' high carports. It's really smart. They need to do that everywhere. Instead of putting giant solar farms out in the country and running miles of powerlines, they need to split them up in smaller groups and cover shopping mall, football stadium, and Walmart parking lots. You don't ruin natural ground that way, get rid of power lines, shade your cars, and offset the "heat island" effect you get from that blacktop absorbing all that heat during the day.
 
A couple of months ago, I was in Salt Lake City, doing some work at a new substation. Going through the heart of the city from east to west and up and over the mountains were massive 235,000 volt transmission lines. Talking with the linemen at the substation about it, they said it’s from coal plants in n Wyoming and the power was being sent to California. They were laughing because it’s a way that California can say they’re green because they’re technically not using fossil fuels, just some of the power that is being imported is.

I’ve been to one of the larger coal fire plants in Gillette, WY. There was actually another coal fire plant right next door. The nice thing is they have their coal mines right across the interstate and have conveyors bringing it into the yard. Super efficient.
 
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A couple of months ago, I was in Salt Lake City, doing some work at a new substation. Going through the heart of the city from east to west and up and over the mountains were massive 235,000 volt transmission lines. Talking with the linemen at the substation about it, they said it’s from coal plants in n Wyoming and the power was being sent to California. They were laughing because it’s a way that California can say they’re green because they’re technically not using fossil fuels, just some of the power that is being imported is.
The point of the thread is that they weren't "importing" at the time.

And Wyoming could generate tons of solar, if they wanted to.
 
I think what @Chuck C is saying is that California may be getting its generation from non-renewable resources generated from outside of the state.

Lots of places require non-renewable sources when the sun isn't shining and wind energy isn't available.

The thread was about CA being able to temporarily service 100% of their needs with renewables.
Now, when you get battery storage online, you can also eliminate the fossil fuels sources, too.
 
If anyone thinks that renewables can totally replace fossil fuel generation they are wrong. Wind and solar are good because there is zero fuel costs with them. Also much lower labor costs. But there will always be a need for online, governor responsive generation to follow the changes in load.

Diversitification of sources (what and where), designed in capacity that meets peak and stores energy (batteries) for less productive days, and a more fluid grid system that allows better regional importing/exporting/distribution can eliminate fossil fuel generation.
 
I think what @Chuck C is saying is that California may be getting its generation from non-renewable resources generated from outside of the state.
If the renewable generation equals the total state load, for however long it was, then they were running on 100% renewable energy. The power flowing into the state would equal the power flowing out on other tie lines.
 
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Not mad, everybody wants renewable clean energy. Just not fathomable for another 50-70 years. We are “mad” at the 100% misleading headline.

I don't get the feeling that everybody wants renewable clean energy. It seems like something people would obviously want but that doesn't appear to be the case. The negativity comes out any time somebody posts something positive about renewable clean energy. Solar, wind, hydro, EVs etc...

There's definitely a group that seems to think all of that is just a big waste of time.
 
A couple of months ago, I was in Salt Lake City, doing some work at a new substation. Going through the heart of the city from east to west and up and over the mountains were massive 235,000 volt transmission lines. Talking with the linemen at the substation about it, they said it’s from coal plants in n Wyoming and the power was being sent to California. They were laughing because it’s a way that California can say they’re green because they’re technically not using fossil fuels, just some of the power that is being imported is.
Yeah, another one of those unverifiable anecdotes these types love as their proof for everything.

The morons support expensive and self-destructive modes of energy just to own the libs. Look at em in this thread.
 
I don't get the feeling that everybody wants renewable clean energy. It seems like something people would obviously want but that doesn't appear to be the case. The negativity comes out any time somebody posts something positive about renewable clean energy. Solar, wind, hydro, EVs etc...

There's definitely a group that seems to think all of that is just a big waste of time.
Because a lot of people have been claiming this is all of waste of time, global warming is a hoax, and fossil fuels will always be superior. To acknowledge that this is a good thing would create some severe cognitive dissonance.
 
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