And Now For Some Good News

[sparky]

Yep, Alternative energy is not viable on its own.

tell that to all the off grid homeowners i've sparked up

~S~

 

[Rustic]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In my state, we have lots of rivers and lots of wetlands spread over immense lands. Building dams in order to provide alternative hydroelectric power would cause irreparable damage to the wetlands and the distribution systems required to bring that power to the users would be expensive and further damage the habitat. How do you reconcile the environmental damage done by establishment of alternative power sources?

Did you read and comprehend what I posted?

I said I understand that other states don't have that natural resource like my state has.

You obviously live in a place that can't develop that natural resource.

You can encourage our government and private business to start developing other alternatives to fossil fuels.

I bet the sun shines where you live. And I bet the wind blows too. Even if there's clouds in the sky the sun is out and that energy can be developed.

I know we all have brains and can work to find solutions. Just as I see some republicans finally doing.

You won't have those wetlands if climate change reduces the source of that water.

I'm trying to get humans to not destroy that source of water that creates the areas in your state.

We already use an alternative to fossil fuels and every winter the EPA raises holy hell because of the particulates generated by heating with wood.
You can be the sun shines, some of the time, but when it only shines for a few hours, rising just barely above the horizon, and in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months, solar is only a viable option in the summer.
Wind generation has been tried but found inadequate to provide sufficient power for the largest city in this state. In other places, you would have to clear cut a lot of trees to make space for wind generators and the wind is not that reliable, anyhow.
And don't you worry. If climate change (LOL) advances, we will have loads of arable land where wetlands once laid. Let the farming begin!

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm? How do you move water to your home, and how do you dispose of the waste you generate?

I made the decision in 2001 to never buy a normal gas car again. And I haven't. I bought our first hybrid car in 2001. Since then my ex, who I was married to at the time, replaced his hybrid in 2013 with a Chevy Volt that is electric and gas. The first 40 or so miles is pure electric then it trips over to gas. We lived about a mile from where he works. Since the marriage ended he still lives in the area. He rarely used the gas in that car. I just bought my 4th hybrid car a little over a year ago.

I also live in an area that started curb side recycling in the 80s. Not just paper, glass, plastic and metal. We have specific yard waste bins so that our yard waste is recycled.

I send money to organizations that replant trees in places it's needed.

I've bought land here in America and in South America so that they won't be logged.

I've bought land and nests of some ugly birds in Florida so they can keep making those ugly birds.

I've bought land in Maui to create a preserve for a certain flower that only grows on that island. No other place in the world.

I've donated money to build a bald eagle preserve with the Nature Conservancy at Padilla Bay.

I work with an environmental group in my state that does nothing but take people to court to stop the clear cut logging. The laws in my state are on our side now so the clear cut loggers usually loose. I go out into areas to take photos of it to prove it's not a fire hazard and to prove the trees are either too small or too large to be harvested. I go out with my camera to prove illegal logging too.

The electricity in my state isn't generated by coal. We started shutting down our last coal fire plant in 2005. It should be shut down by now or close to it. We get most of our energy from water.

I heat my home with natural gas.

Being friendly to the environment doesn't mean giving up all the comforts we have in the 21st century. I'm not advocating your stupid extremist all or nothing approach. I know you people use that to make sure nothing is done. All you've done is make sure that people have stopped listening to or paying any attention to you and your extremist manipulations.

Just because you're too narrow minded to see that there can be a hybrid of both natural renewables and fossil fuels doesn't mean everyone thinks that way. We all know that only one way for something is stupid. If we use the best of renewables and fossil fuels we all win.

What have you done to help with the problem?

More power to you...

But understand millions of Americans want nothing to do with what you speak of... fact

Lol

 

[sparky]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We have an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In the northern plains like South Dakota where I live, alternative energy is very unreliable, very expensive and certainly not viable.
While I’m for all of the above myself, Alternative energy needs to step up and pay for itself while doing want it supposed to do, before it can be considered as a viable alternative.
The northern plains basically has unlimited fossil fuels, With technology more and more are being found every day. Use them up till a better alternative can be proven...

You want alternative energy to step up and pay for itself? Cool. Can we do the same thing with oil and gas companies and stop paying them subsidies?

Or just kick the oilocracy out of the NRTL's

Years ago, they fought tooth/nail over the advent of true sine inversion .

See, PV used to be cells>storage>inversion>usage

True sine meant PC cells>net metering...cutting out the expense of storage

These days trackers utilize micro inverters , meaning they hook right into the grid

Trackers follow the sun, even dump the snow off themselves

But i digress, it's all about ROI these days. Back when i was a wee spark it was reclusive hippies saving the planet....now it's smart investors

~S~

 

[sparky]

But I understand millions of Americans want nothing to do with what you speak of... fact

well maybe you should talk to the smart ones......~S~

 

[Rustic]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In my state, we have lots of rivers and lots of wetlands spread over immense lands. Building dams in order to provide alternative hydroelectric power would cause irreparable damage to the wetlands and the distribution systems required to bring that power to the users would be expensive and further damage the habitat. How do you reconcile the environmental damage done by establishment of alternative power sources?

Did you read and comprehend what I posted?

I said I understand that other states don't have that natural resource like my state has.

You obviously live in a place that can't develop that natural resource.

You can encourage our government and private business to start developing other alternatives to fossil fuels.

I bet the sun shines where you live. And I bet the wind blows too. Even if there's clouds in the sky the sun is out and that energy can be developed.

I know we all have brains and can work to find solutions. Just as I see some republicans finally doing.

You won't have those wetlands if climate change reduces the source of that water.

I'm trying to get humans to not destroy that source of water that creates the areas in your state.

We already use an alternative to fossil fuels and every winter the EPA raises holy hell because of the particulates generated by heating with wood.
You can be the sun shines, some of the time, but when it only shines for a few hours, rising just barely above the horizon, and in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months, solar is only a viable option in the summer.
Wind generation has been tried but found inadequate to provide sufficient power for the largest city in this state. In other places, you would have to clear cut a lot of trees to make space for wind generators and the wind is not that reliable, anyhow.
And don't you worry. If climate change (LOL) advances, we will have loads of arable land where wetlands once laid. Let the farming begin!

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm? How do you move water to your home, and how do you dispose of the waste you generate?

You said 'in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months". Were you talking about world wide, or were you talking about just the USA? In either case, you are sorely wrong, because granted, there are places where the sun doesn't rise for a couple of months, those places are above the Arctic Circle. The only state in the US that is affected by long nights are those in Alaska, and there ain't that many people in that state.

As far as the people in the lower 48? Those in the northern states will receive at least 9 hours, and the people in the southern states will receive 10 hours of sunlight on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. So, even on that one you are wrong.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...he-year/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f0b7558cce50

Solar is far ahead of wind, wind is a fucking joke it’s return is diminishing the best.
But there is not enough real estate for solar to supply adequate energy...
As with all alternative energy and always has to be rude backed up by something reliable, affordable and viable.... it’s called fossil fuels.
And in places like here in the northern plains without fossil fuels nothing would exist. The average temperature was a little over 11° for the month of February here in western South Dakota… No global warming going on here.

 

[Rustic]

If we are serious about climate change, we would have declared war on India and China by now.

China is serious about climate change efforts but it's not easy to just stop using coal and oil when you you're trying to meet the energy needs of 1.3 billion people. It's an incredibly steep endeavor. A lot of people don't actually comprehend the magnitude of the challenge.

And, one of those climate change concerns has caused China to pass laws that require a certain percentage of the cars built in China be electric. And, because of that, China is sucking up all the technicians that work on developing them. Currently, China accounts for over 35 percent of the electric car market WORLDWIDE.

Your next car could be electric—and Chinese

Lol
Wide open rural America... Electric cars? That’s a no go from the start

 

[Rustic]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We have an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In the northern plains like South Dakota where I live, alternative energy is very unreliable, very expensive and certainly not viable.
While I’m for all of the above myself, Alternative energy needs to step up and pay for itself while doing want it supposed to do, before it can be considered as a viable alternative.
The northern plains basically has unlimited fossil fuels, With technology more and more are being found every day. Use them up till a better alternative can be proven...

You want alternative energy to step up and pay for itself? Cool. Can we do the same thing with oil and gas companies and stop paying them subsidies?

Lol
Everything relies on fossil fuels, Ultimately. The same cannot be said with alternative energy. You get it up and going and reliable then you have some ground to stand on.
Alternative energy is decades away from being available in places like the northern plains. You can have all the windmills and solar panels you want in urban America just don’t expect that shit up here in the northern plains. We will stick to what works here none of your fucking business.

 

[Rustic]

Windmill farms seem to be doing pretty good up here in the Texas Panhandle.

Same thing for eastern New Mexico, and the eastern plains of Colorado.

You do realize year to year efficiency is piss poor with them?

 

[Rustic]

Yep, Alternative energy is not viable on its own.

tell that to all the off grid homeowners i've sparked up

~S~

Most people are not going to be off the grid, large scale, alternative energy is not up to the task.

 

[gallantwarrior]

You can encourage our government and private business to start developing other alternatives to fossil fuels.

I bet the sun shines where you live. And I bet the wind blows too. Even if there's clouds in the sky the sun is out and that energy can be developed.

I know we all have brains and can work to find solutions. Just as I see some republicans finally doing.

You won't have those wetlands if climate change reduces the source of that water.

I'm trying to get humans to not destroy that source of water that creates the areas in your state.

We already use an alternative to fossil fuels and every winter the EPA raises holy hell because of the particulates generated by heating with wood.
The sun shines, some of the time, but when it only shines for a few hours, rising just barely above the horizon, and in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months, solar is only a viable option in the summer.
Wind generation has been tried but found inadequate to provide sufficient power for the largest city in this state. In other places, you would have to clear cut a lot of trees to make space for wind generators and the wind is not that reliable, anyhow.
And don't you worry. If climate change (LOL) advances, we will have loads of arable land where wetlands once laid. Let the farming begin!

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm? How do you move water to your home, and how do you dispose of the waste you generate?

I don't generally parse a posting, but I'll have to here in order to answer your questions or to fairly comment on what you have posted:

Did you read and comprehend what I posted?
Duh? Have you read and comprehended my responses?

I said I understand that other states don't have that natural resource like my state has. You obviously live in a place that can't develop that natural resource.
My state has loads of natural resources, although I am not sure that you understand "natural resources" the same way I do. What do you define as being natural resources? We are prevented from developing many of our resources due to access issues. But we are constantly hindered from resource development by rabid anti-development groups who want to preserve our wilderness and wildlife. Every proposal for resource development has to be studied to death, sued against in court, and even protested against. And way to many of these obstructionists don't even live here, they have no skin in the game.
​

I made the decision in 2001 to never buy a normal gas car again. And I haven't. I bought our first hybrid car in 2001. Since then my ex, who I was married to at the time, replaced his hybrid in 2013 with a Chevy Volt that is electric and gas. The first 40 or so miles is pure electric then it trips over to gas. We lived about a mile from where he works. Since the marriage ended he still lives in the area. He rarely used the gas in that car. I just bought my 4th hybrid car a little over a year ago.
Very nice for you. But I'm guessing you don't have to haul hay or livestock trailers. I've not found your electric hybrids capable of performing the work I need done. You obviously do not have to commute to a job. I do own a reasonable commuter car, but still need that big diesel pickup and the JD410 I to use around my place.

I also live in an area that started curb side recycling in the 80s. Not just paper, glass, plastic and metal. We have specific yard waste bins so that our yard waste is recycled.
Again, I'm happy for your situation. I assume you have a curbside? On my place, I recycle what I can. All combustible waste is burned in a large burn barrel. I also build and turn windrows to compost barn waste, adding all biodegradable kitchen waste and animal mortalities to that process. I use free-range fowl to keep the pest population in my gardens under control, which also provides me with good, wholesome eggs and meat. All my animals are fed non-GMO or natural feeds. The goats are allowed to free-forage, which makes herbicide use to clear land unnecessary. I make or grow most things that I eat and use, and I do those things the "old" ways, using little powered energy. I live "off-grid", so I don't use "city" electric, using solar when available and a generator for backup when needed.

I send money to organizations that replant trees in places it's needed.

I've bought land here in America and in South America so that they won't be logged.

I've bought land and nests of some ugly birds in Florida so they can keep making those ugly birds.

I've bought land in Maui to create a preserve for a certain flower that only grows on that island. No other place in the world.

I've donated money to build a bald eagle preserve with the Nature Conservancy at Padilla Bay.
All this is problematic for me. Obviously, making all these contributions serve to salve some deep-seated guilt. Again, I am happy that you apparently have an excess of disposable income that you can use for all those "worthy" causes. Many of those causes are money scams. Have you ever reviewed the financial statements for those organizations to which you contribute? How many cents on the dollar are actually used for the purpose you intend?

I work with an environmental group in my state that does nothing but take people to court to stop the clear cut logging. The laws in my state are on our side now so the clear cut loggers usually loose. I go out into areas to take photos of it to prove it's not a fire hazard and to prove the trees are either too small or too large to be harvested. I go out with my camera to prove illegal logging too.
I live in a state that has huge expanses restricted so that they cannot be clear cut, although timber is a renewable resource. (Back to rabid anti-resource development zealots.) There is such an activity as legal logging, BTW. We would at least enjoy being able to selectively cut dead wood, especially that killed by insect infestations. That would serve the dual purpose of clearing out fire hazards and helping abate the infestation. Obviously, you do not live anywhere where wildfires are a problem, particularly after a dry year or after the beetles have killed large swatches of spruce. Spruce trees are resinous and burn like hell when ignited. But I'm guessing that you have never lost a home, barn, animals or other equipment because of a wildfire.

We started shutting down our last coal fire plant in 2005. It should be shut down by now or close to it. We get most of our energy from water.

I heat my home with natural gas.
You do realize that natural gas is a fossil fuel? I heat my home with propane and wood. I have to cut and split the wood myself. Now, how large is your home? I have a three-bedroom home less than 1000 sqft. Amazing how much less home you need when you pay sweat equity to maintain it. What are the coldest temperatures you have to deal with where you live? Temperatures here can fall as low as -40F but will stay between -5 and +20 most of the winter. Takes a lot of BTUs to keep the cats from freezing.

Being friendly to the environment doesn't mean giving up all the comforts we have in the 21st century. I'm not advocating your stupid extremist all or nothing approach. I know you people use that to make sure nothing is done. All you've done is make sure that people have stopped listening to or paying any attention to you and your extremist manipulations.
I agree that being environmentally aware doesn't mean giving up a lot of comforts. But, again, I suppose my concept of comfort differs greatly from yours. Do you have a microwave, electric appliances, TV and/or DVD? Can you entertain yourself with a book or a board game? I am certainly not an extremist, I just put my money where my mouth is by leading an environmentally sound lifestyle. I find it far more stupid when someone assumes a "holier-than-thou" attitude and starts calling names just because another person takes a different approach to the situation.

Just because you're too narrow minded to see that there can be a hybrid of both natural renewables and fossil fuels doesn't mean everyone thinks that way. We all know that only one way for something is stupid. If we use the best of renewables and fossil fuels we all win.
I live a compromise between renewable resources and fossil fuels. I recognize that you have done your best to do so, too. I am not so narrow minded that I would seek to denigrate your efforts. So, you keep on winning your way, I'll keep on winning in mine. I would just like those who treat AGW with religious fervor and respond with rabid zealotry would keep that to themselves and stop trying to force their religion on me.

What have you done to help with the problem?
First, there has to be a problem, doesn't there. I tend to respond to my environment in a practical and deeply personal way. I don't throw money at scams that proclaim their best interests are saving the environment and then blow that money on administrative and "educational" expenses. When's the last time you went out and planted something yourself, or picked up trash along the road? Do you have a solar and/or wind power system providing your home power requirements? Obviously, using a hybrid of renewable and fossil energy sources are okay when they are to your benefit. What about the rest of us? Are we worthy?

 

[gallantwarrior]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In my state, we have lots of rivers and lots of wetlands spread over immense lands. Building dams in order to provide alternative hydroelectric power would cause irreparable damage to the wetlands and the distribution systems required to bring that power to the users would be expensive and further damage the habitat. How do you reconcile the environmental damage done by establishment of alternative power sources?

Did you read and comprehend what I posted?

I said I understand that other states don't have that natural resource like my state has.

You obviously live in a place that can't develop that natural resource.

You can encourage our government and private business to start developing other alternatives to fossil fuels.

I bet the sun shines where you live. And I bet the wind blows too. Even if there's clouds in the sky the sun is out and that energy can be developed.

I know we all have brains and can work to find solutions. Just as I see some republicans finally doing.

You won't have those wetlands if climate change reduces the source of that water.

I'm trying to get humans to not destroy that source of water that creates the areas in your state.

We already use an alternative to fossil fuels and every winter the EPA raises holy hell because of the particulates generated by heating with wood.
You can be the sun shines, some of the time, but when it only shines for a few hours, rising just barely above the horizon, and in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months, solar is only a viable option in the summer.
Wind generation has been tried but found inadequate to provide sufficient power for the largest city in this state. In other places, you would have to clear cut a lot of trees to make space for wind generators and the wind is not that reliable, anyhow.
And don't you worry. If climate change (LOL) advances, we will have loads of arable land where wetlands once laid. Let the farming begin!

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm? How do you move water to your home, and how do you dispose of the waste you generate?

You said 'in many places, it doesn't rise at all for months". Were you talking about world wide, or were you talking about just the USA? In either case, you are sorely wrong, because granted, there are places where the sun doesn't rise for a couple of months, those places are above the Arctic Circle. The only state in the US that is affected by long nights are those in Alaska, and there ain't that many people in that state.

As far as the people in the lower 48? Those in the northern states will receive at least 9 hours, and the people in the southern states will receive 10 hours of sunlight on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. So, even on that one you are wrong.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...he-year/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f0b7558cce50

I'm in Alaska. Again, those one-size-fits all solutions are not feasible for a lot of situations.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Windmill farms seem to be doing pretty good up here in the Texas Panhandle.

Same thing for eastern New Mexico, and the eastern plains of Colorado.

I've visited Clearwater and driven through Texas where all those windfarms are. What a lovely landscape, guess a lot of modern painters are going to work on that view. And some of the solar farms in the Cali desert have turned out to be great barbeques for endangered species.

 

[gallantwarrior]

They're excited about taxing anything they can Dana....~S~

I don't understand what you mean.

My state has been moving to alternatives and renewables for a long time now.

Yes we have a lot of rivers and dams that create our energy and provide around 60% of our energy in my state. I understand not all states have that natural resource.

They do have the sun and wind though. Just like my state does. We have an area here that's called he Saudi Arabia of wind. We've been building windmills all over that area since the 90s. We have another area of the state that is desert and gets sun most of the year. We have developed those natural resources. We also have a small nuclear site that provides energy to the middle of nowhere in a corner of my state. I'm not a fan of nuclear anything but understand that people in the middle of nowhere do need energy.

The people of my state passed an initiative that requires our state to get a certain amount of our energy from alternative sources.

We haven't lost any energy here. It doesn't cost much beyond building the wind and sun farms. Except when those wind farms first came on line it was more energy than what the existing grid could handle so we voted to increase our taxes to build that new grid to handle all that new energy.

We sell our excess energy to other neighboring states. We also have the third lowest electric rates in the nation. I just paid my electric bill for last month. February was a very cold month here filled with a lot of snow. The bill was 54 dollars. Winter is the high rate season here.

In the northern plains like South Dakota where I live, alternative energy is very unreliable, very expensive and certainly not viable.
While I’m for all of the above myself, Alternative energy needs to step up and pay for itself while doing want it supposed to do, before it can be considered as a viable alternative.
The northern plains basically has unlimited fossil fuels, With technology more and more are being found every day. Use them up till a better alternative can be proven...

You want alternative energy to step up and pay for itself? Cool. Can we do the same thing with oil and gas companies and stop paying them subsidies?

Or just kick the oilocracy out of the NRTL's

Years ago, they fought tooth/nail over the advent of true sine inversion .

See, PV used to be cells>storage>inversion>usage

True sine meant PC cells>net metering...cutting out the expense of storage

These days trackers utilize micro inverters , meaning they hook right into the grid

Trackers follow the sun, even dump the snow off themselves

But i digress, it's all about ROI these days. Back when i was a wee spark it was reclusive hippies saving the planet....now it's smart investors

~S~

We use a true sine inverter but still need the batteries during winter when we're lucky to get an hour of good sunlight. In the winter, our sun rises and sets in the South.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Love driving by solar farms buried in snow and then have the utilities ask people to turn off everything they can and their heat down to 60 cause there isn't enough power...….how progressive

Which utilities are those?

XCEL energy

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

We already lost $80K in disposable income due to Obama’s energy policy reaction to climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean, climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean ....

 

[JimBowie1958]

If we are serious about climate change, we would have declared war on India and China by now.

China is serious about climate change efforts but it's not easy to just stop using coal and oil when you you're trying to meet the energy needs of 1.3 billion people. It's an incredibly steep endeavor. A lot of people don't actually comprehend the magnitude of the challenge.

Just let Maduro run it. He is an expert at reducing Green House Gases.

 

[JimBowie1958]

We already lost $80K in disposable income due to Obama’s energy policy reaction to climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean, climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean ....

The climate has always changed and always will.

The only point of debate is whether the Earths current climate change is being driven mostly by human activity.

I say there is conflicting data, but the Envirowackjobs say no, it is proven scientific fact, and then they speak in religious terms, like faith and belief and consensus of scientists.

I call Shenanigans, to be polite.

 

[gallantwarrior]

We already lost $80K in disposable income due to Obama’s energy policy reaction to climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean, climate change — I mean, global warming — I mean ....

The climate has always changed and always will.

The only point of debate is whether the Earths current climate change is being driven mostly by human activity.

I say there is conflicting data, but the Envirowackjobs say no, it is proven scientific fact, and then they speak in religious terms, like faith and belief and consensus of scientists.

I call Shenanigans, to be polite.

Hey, don't feel too bad. After all, those same zealots (Envirowackjobs) who insist that AGW is proven fact are usually the same folks who deny the fact that there are only two genders.

 

[sparky]

Most people are not going to be off the grid, large scale, alternative energy is not up to the task.

individually vs. large scale is a world of dif.....

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm?

wood boiler.....trees are renewable.....

I also build and turn windrows to compost barn waste, adding all biodegradable kitchen waste and animal mortalities to that process. I use free-range fowl to keep the pest population in my gardens under control, which also provides me with good, wholesome eggs and meat. All my animals are fed non-GMO or natural feeds. The goats are allowed to free-forage, which makes herbicide use to clear land unnecessary. I make or grow most things that I eat and use, and I do those things the "old" ways, using little powered energy. I live "off-grid", so I don't use "city" electric, using solar when available and a generator for backup when needed.

we could talk......

We use a true sine inverter but still need the batteries during winter when we're lucky to get an hour of good sunlight. In the winter, our sun rises and sets in the South.

but, you're pulling it off ,and under conditions less than pristine.....bravo!

I say there is conflicting data

more contrived and coerced....

~S~

 

[gallantwarrior]

Most people are not going to be off the grid, large scale, alternative energy is not up to the task.

individually vs. large scale is a world of dif.....

So, what personal steps are you taking to change your power usage? How do you stay warm?

wood boiler.....trees are renewable.....

I also build and turn windrows to compost barn waste, adding all biodegradable kitchen waste and animal mortalities to that process. I use free-range fowl to keep the pest population in my gardens under control, which also provides me with good, wholesome eggs and meat. All my animals are fed non-GMO or natural feeds. The goats are allowed to free-forage, which makes herbicide use to clear land unnecessary. I make or grow most things that I eat and use, and I do those things the "old" ways, using little powered energy. I live "off-grid", so I don't use "city" electric, using solar when available and a generator for backup when needed.

we could talk......

We use a true sine inverter but still need the batteries during winter when we're lucky to get an hour of good sunlight. In the winter, our sun rises and sets in the South.

but, you're pulling it off ,and under conditions less than pristine.....bravo!

I say there is conflicting data

more contrived and coerced....

~S~

The secret to making this work is to stay small and simple. I have so few electric appliances, I actually find the generator is happier if I plug in an electric heater when it's running. Generators like at least 60% loads and even the electric heater isn't quite enough for the bigger Honda. Mostly, I use electric for lights, my wifi and the laptop. The partner uses the TV and DVD player when he's around. I wash clothes with a non-electric washing machine and heat water with an on-demand propane water heater or I just keep a couple of kettles on the wood stove when I am using it.
That converter was plenty more expensive than the modified inverter but worth the expense.