Category Archives: Electricity

Concentrated Solar Power can only exist in deserts and use too much water

Posted on September 22, 2019 by

What follows is my summary of: Bracken, N., et al. 2015. Concentrating solar power and water issues in the U.S. Southwest. U.S. department of energy, National renewable energy lab. Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power, Electricity | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Utility scale energy storage has a long way to go to make renewables possible

Posted on May 15, 2019 by

What follows comes from my book “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation” , which is also where you’ll find the references backing up what I’ve written below. I often get letters from people about energy breakthroughs … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Battery - Utility Scale, Critical Thinking, Electric Grid, Electricity, Renewable Integration | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The electric grid: fragile, filthy, poorly managed, polluting, inefficient, corrupt

Posted on September 18, 2018 by

Preface. Most forms of alternative energy depend on the electric grid (nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower). But the Grid is falling apart because of privatization and the splitting of the grid into thousands of competing, uncoordinated entities where there’s no … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts, Books, Electricity, Energy | 3 Comments

Big Fight: 21 top scientists show why Jacobson and Delucchi’s renewable scheme is a delusional fantasy

Posted on June 24, 2017 by

[ Seldom have I seen such a vitriolic fight among scientists.  As you’ll see below, I think all of them miss the main problems with trying to create a 100% renewable energy system, though I can only summarize and leave … Continue reading →

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING, Alternative Energy, Electric Grid, Electricity, Infrastructure | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

How is California’s AB2514 experiment with utility scale battery storage coming along?

Posted on December 3, 2016 by

[ This is an excellent article by Tod Kiefer about tests of sodium-sulfur batteries, which are the only kind of battery for which there is enough material on earth to make. Battery electric storage is meant to “replace nimble, fast-ramping … Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Battery - Utility Scale, Electricity | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Electric grid large power transformers take up to 2 years to build

Posted on January 21, 2015 by

[ This post contains excerpts from the Department of Energy document “Large power transformers and the U.S. electric grid”. Large power transformers are essential critical infrastructure to the electric grid, and are huge, weighing up to 820,000 pounds.  If large … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid, Electricity, Infrastructure, Interdependencies | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Electric grid large power transformers take up to 2 years to build

Roger Andrews: California public utilities vote no on energy storage

Posted on November 6, 2014 by

[My comment: Without energy storage, wind, solar, and other electricity generating alternative resources can’t continue to be added to the electric grid, because they make the grid too unstable and prone to blackouts (which can damage the electric grid). To … Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Electric Grid, Electric Grid, Electricity | 9 Comments

Chip Fab Plants need electricity 24 x 7. The electric grid needs chips. The Financial system needs both.

Posted on July 3, 2014 by

[ When Trucks stop running, civilization ends.  Trucks are not only vulnerable to running out of liquid fuels, they also depend on micro-chips (i.e. engine, emissions, etc), which can only be made if electricity is up  around the clock. Alice … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid, Electricity, Interdependencies, Microchip Fabrication stops | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System. National Academy of Sciences.

Posted on July 1, 2014 by

Much of what follows is from the National Academy of Science 2012  (for the Department of Homeland Security): “Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System” & 2013 “The Resilience of the Electric Power Delivery System in Response to Terrorism and … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid, Electricity, Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Water | 1 Comment

The Impact of Climate Change on California: 8th Largest Economy, 40% of U.S. Shipping

Posted on May 31, 2014 by

Introduction California’s economy and population relies on one of the most extensive and costly infrastructure systems in the world. This includes thousands of miles of roads, highways and railroads, nearly 200 large water reservoirs of varying capacity, miles of canals, … Continue reading →

Posted in Electricity, Energy, Extreme Weather, Heat, Oil & Gas, Railroads, Sea Level Rise, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Impact of Climate Change on California: 8th Largest Economy, 40% of U.S. Shipping