On Mon, 31 Dec 2018 10:31:54 -0800 Karl Wittnebel via Mercedes
<mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote:
> Seems like people on the list have been chiming in about windmills and
> the need for ongoing coal plants etc. from time to time, so I though it
> might interest the group to hear from someone with skin in the game,
> e.g. a utility. I typically listen to stuff like this in the car on my
> phone.
To date, the electricity from alternate sources has been much more
expensive than from conventional sources -- if you eliminate the
subsidies. One of the reasons for increased costs is that utility
companies have to have a traditional source on line and spinning to
make up for the dropouts of the alternate sources, thus wasting the
traditional source fuel source.
The driving factor is getting something for "free" and a mistaken
belief that anthropogenic CO2 is the only knob controlling the global
climate -- it, at best, runs a distant second to the most powerful
climate-controlling gas, water vapor.
For most of those who push anthropogenic CO2 and curbing fossil fuels it
is a religion -- that's the only way one can explain their fervor and
refusal to consider different viewpoints (including very scientifically
based ones).
The rest of those pushing curbing fossil fuels are doing so for the cut
of the revenue they will receive from building alternate sources and from
carbon cap/trading taxes. Fortunately for Washington state, it's voters
recently soundly rejected their carbon cap/trading ballot question,
precisely because of that.
Utilities in California have to work in and with the liberal California
world view -- they know which side their bread is buttered on. Given a
level playing field, they might sing a different tune.
Craig
P.S. In case you missed it, I have a Ph.D. in physics, something very
relevant to this discussion.
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