Tag Archives: electric grid

Table of Contents for Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy

Posted on March 27, 2021 by

Preface. Most of what is in “Life After Fossil Fuels” is also posted here at energyskeptic (especially Peak Soil). And also in my other book “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation“. The advantage of books over … Continue reading →

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Concentrated Solar Power is dying out in the U.S.

Posted on June 12, 2020 by

Preface.  Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) contributes only 0.06 % of U.S. electricity, mainly in California (64 %) and Arizona (24 %) because extremely dry areas with no humidity, haze, or pollutants are required. Of the 1861 MW power they can … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power, CSP with thermal energy storage, Grid instability, Seasonal Variation | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wind, solar, and natural gas are driving nuclear power out of business

Posted on February 28, 2020 by

Preface. I’m no fan of nuclear power because we may already be at peak uranium, there’s nowhere to store nuclear waste, and a spent nuclear pool fire could harm millions of people. But renewable wind and solar and natural gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Power Energy, Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Challenges to the Integration of Renewable Resources at High System Penetration

Posted on February 2, 2019 by

Preface.  This overview of challenges for wind and solar written in 2010 is still true today. We are far from being able to reach even a 50% renewable grid (excluding hydropower from the total) given the lack of storage, the … Continue reading →

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Book Review about why the electric grid is fragile and falling apart

Posted on September 18, 2018 by

Preface.  This is a book review of Munson’s “The Business of Power and what it means for the future of electricity”. Although it was written in 2008 and some efforts have been made in some places to improve the grid, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Blackouts Electric Grid, Books, Electricity Infrastructure, Energy Books | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Blackouts in the news

Posted on April 11, 2018 by

Preface.  Richard C Duncan proposed an “Olduvai Theory” that the current industrial civilization would have a maximum duration of 100 years from 1930 to 2030. A key indicator the End Was Near would be when partial and total blackouts began … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Blackouts Electric Grid | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Electromagnetic Pulse weapons & cyberattacks can bring down the electric grid

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

Preface.  At some point of energy decline the electric grid will fail, and civilization will take a giant step downward (financial systems gone, knowledge stored gone, computers / phones inoperable) and so on. Vaclav Smil (2015) in his book Energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Nuclear spent fuel fire | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coal power plants depend on railroads to deliver coal

Posted on February 18, 2017 by

[ The extract of a Senate hearing below is mostly spent on testimony by utilities bashing the railroads for not delivering enough coal due to a disaster in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming area, where coal dust infiltrated the stone … Continue reading →

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Germany’s “Energiewende” may need to be rescued with nonrenewable coal power

Posted on November 10, 2016 by

[ Below is my summary of The Energiewende is Running Up Against Its Limits (October 24, 2016) by Jeffrey Michel at the Energy Collective. Wealthy, well-educated Germany has tried harder and longer than most nations to make a transition to renewables. … Continue reading →

Posted in National Super Grid, Renewable Integration | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When Trucks Stop Running, So Does Civilization. Energy and the Future of Transportation.

Posted on January 16, 2016 by

When Trucks Stop Running. Energy and the Future of Transportation. Available at Springer, Amazon, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Alibris When Trucks Stop Running: Table of Contents, Preface, References Book review: “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, Electrification, Energy Books, Oil Shocks, Railroads, Ships and Barges, Transportation Infrastructure, Transportation Supply chain, Trucks, When Trucks Stop Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on When Trucks Stop Running, So Does Civilization. Energy and the Future of Transportation.