NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/sci/environm/9805

Internet Message Format | 1992-07-22 | 3.5 KB

Xref: sparky sci.environment:9805 sci.physics:11409 sci.energy:3547
Newsgroups: sci.environment,sci.physics,sci.energy
Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!concert!uvaarpa!murdoch!kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU!crb7q
From: [e-mail] (Cameron Randale Bass)
Subject: Re: ZERO Nuclear impact (was: Is car pooling for real? etc)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: University of Virginia
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 22:15:35 GMT
Lines: 61

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (dean alaska) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Cameron Randale Bass) writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Houle) writes:
>>>photovoltaics plus storage in almost all of the lower 48.  Or maybe you'll
>>>realize the fantastic supply of sustainable wind energy that blows through
>>>Nebraska or the rest of the states of the Great Plains.  This doesn't even
>>>tie up the land -- windmills fit right in with agriculture and grazing.
>>
>>    Agreed completely.  And for around $25,000, I could do just that.
>>    Fortunately, power does not cost me anywhere near as much as the
>>    amortization and maintenence costs (even for all the machines that
>>    my wife and I rely on to work as well as our household appliances).
>>
>>    And my subdivision does not allow windmills ...
>>
>But a utility could install these more cheaply than they could a
>huge new coal or nuclear plant.

    If they could, they would.  After all they're in it for the money.
    I notice that Luz went belly up;  PV is much worse.

>>     If one assumes market efficiency, there is always a sacrifice
>>     in cutting electricity usage.
>
>The upfront capital costs will be paid for with the savings.  Such
>efficiency strategies could be used to prevent the need for new
>capacity until PV is ready.  PG&E in CA plans to meet 75% of its
>new capacity requirements over the next decade or two with efficiency
>and the other 25% with renewables.

     Then I suspect that economic growth will not be concentrated
     in PG&E-space.

>>     I have absolutely no fear of sustainables, just a fear of being
>>     led down the garden path by the incorrect economic assumptions
>>     of advocates.
>>
>>     Show me a renewable system that competes economically with
>>     the service I get from Virginia Power, and I'll switch tomorrow.
>>     (Oh by the way, I'm not going to rewire all of my capital goods
>>     in anticipation).
>>
>Hybrid solar thermal plants (they use some natural gas, too) are creating
>100's of MW for the grid at about $.085/kwh now.  PV may not be ready for
>utility scale usage now, but it may be by the time many coal plants are
>retired.

     In Virginia?  You must be joking.  As far as 'may be' goes, we
     can never rely on guesses like this for something as critical as
     power generation.

     Of course, if you are talking about Luz, they went belly up.  Not the
     most promising example for other power producers to follow, though
     it was a noble effort.

                                 dale bass
--
C. R. Bass                                           [e-mail]
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia                            [phone]