Category Archives: Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse

The grid powers the pumps at service stations, the financial system, lighting, and more which we’ve grown as dependent on as fossil fuels. It can’t stay up without natural gas, which is finite (see posts in Energy Storage for details on that)

Climate change will damage energy infrastructure, costing trillions

Preface. Climate change and extreme weather will harm oil and gas exploration and production, electric power generation and increase energy demand due to sea level rise, heat, drought, floods, more storms, and blackouts.  Extreme heat and drought will force electric … Continue reading

Posted in Blackouts Electric Grid, Cascading Failure, Climate Change, Electric Grid, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Production, Hydropower, Peak Water, Ships and Barges | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Climate change will damage energy infrastructure, costing trillions

Will Artificial Intelligence destroy us?

Preface. When it comes to artificial intelligence, most articles assume it will happen, so discussions range around when and how it will happen. Often speculation that a general AI may use its ability to find patterns in data will allow … Continue reading

Posted in An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Artificial Intelligence, Electric Grid, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wanted: Math geniuses and power engineers to make a renewable grid possible

Figure 1. OPF solution of original seven-bus system with generator at bus 4 Preface. The U.S. electric grid produced 64% of electricity in 2019 with finite fossil fuels, and another 20% from nuclear power. Since fossil fuels and uranium are … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Grid instability, Renewable Integration, Smart Grid | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wanted: Math geniuses and power engineers to make a renewable grid possible

The Next Big Thing: Distributed Generation & Microgrids

  Preface. Last updated 2022-9-5   The first article below explains what microgrids will look like in the future.  But first a brief look at what a microgrid is, as Angwin explains in her book  “Shorting the Grid. The Hidden Fragility … Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts Electric Grid, Distributed Generation, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Grid instability, Photovoltaic Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Microchip fabrication plants need electricity 24 x 7 for four months

Preface. I explain in both of my books, When Trucks Stop Running and Life After Fossil Fuels, why heavy duty transportation and manufacturing can’t be electrified, as well as why the electric grid can’t stay up without natural gas to … Continue reading

Posted in Blackouts, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Electricity Infrastructure, Interdependencies, Microchips and computers, Preservation of Knowledge | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Renewable costs don’t include transmission & energy storage backup from Nat Gas & Coal plants

Preface. Wind and solar advocates don’t include transmission and backup costs in their net energy and cost calculations. But without fossil backup, the electric grid will come down due to lack of storage. There is almost nowhere left to put … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Storage, Solar, Solar EROI, Wind, Wind EROI | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Nuclear Power problems

Preface.  There are half a dozen articles below. Although safety and disposal of nuclear waste ought to be the main reasons why no more plants should be built, what actually stops them today are the high costs: it can take … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Nuclear Power Collapse, Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

A 1-year blackout could kill 90% of Americans

Preface. What follows is the 30-page testimony of Dr. Pry at a 2015 U.S. House of Representatives session that I’ve summarized. One of the ways that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could be generated is by a solar flare. During the … Continue reading

Posted in Blackouts, Blackouts Electric Grid, Congressional Record U.S., Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Electricity Infrastructure, Extreme Weather, Nuclear Power Collapse, Nuclear War, U.S. Congress Energy Policy, U.S. Congress Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

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 & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Electricity Infrastructure, Renewable Integration | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

One less worry: the magnetic field flipping between north and south poles is not the end of the world

Preface.  The geomagnetic field reversal of polarity has occurred thousands of times in the geological past. We are overdue for another. Indeed, Earth’s dipole has decreased in strength by nearly 10% since it was first measured in 1840. It could … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse | Tagged , | Comments Off on One less worry: the magnetic field flipping between north and south poles is not the end of the world