kublikhan wrote:Global renewable capacity has just exceeded coal's capacity: 2006 GW of renewable capacity vs 1965 GW of coal capacity. However coal still significantly outpaces renewables in actual generation: 40% of global generation for coal vs 23% for renewables(renewables generate electricity for a smaller fraction of the day compared to coal). Solar capacity additions hit a new record last year of 71 GW. Wind added 51 GW and Hydro 30 GW.
Global coal capacity:
2016: 1965 GW
Global renewable energy capacity:
2007: 1070 GW
2016: 2006 GW
Global hydro installed capacity:
2007: 989 GW
2016: 1094 GW
Global non hydro renewable capacity:
2016: 912 GW
Global wind installed capacity:
2007: 74 GW
2016: 484 GW
Global solar installed capacity:
2007: 8 GW
2016: 298 GW
I do that too. Haven't done it for last year but here was my post from 2015(data is from 2012 - 2013):vtsnowedin wrote:That illustrates that we need to start comparing the different producers by their yearly production not their maximum hourly potential. Once you discount solar for the number of hours the sun shines and how low in the sky the sun is mid winter and how often the winds are calm or lower speed then optimum and coal and large dam hydro still are the kings and will be for years to come.
Monthly electric statisticsTotal production for the year‐to‐date was 10,373.3 TWh. Comparing this to the same period last year shows that:
‐ Total production was higher by 90.6 TWh, or 0.9%.
‐ Combustible Fuels production reduced by 0.2%, a decrease of 13.0 TWh
‐ Geoth./Wind/Solar/Other production increased by 9.5%, or 75.6 TWh.
Winter Fuels OutlookReliance on heating oil is highest in the Northeast, where about 22% of households use oil for space heating, down from 27% five years ago as an increasing number of homes switch to using natural gas and electricity for space heating. Nationwide, 5% of households use heating oil.
Although pipeline transportation constraints have eased somewhat in recent years, they continue to pose a challenge to natural gas markets in the Northeast. Basis differentials (the difference between a natural gas price at a given location and the benchmark Henry Hub price) last winter in major gas demand centers in the Northeast were lower compared with the winter of 2014-15, as mild temperatures and some pipeline capacity additions in the Middle Atlantic region helped limit price spikes. This year, additional capacity will be available to deliver natural gas from the Marcellus region in Pennsylvania to New England with the expected November 2016 start-up of the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) Project. This expected incremental pipeline capacity has helped lower expected prices for natural gas delivered to Boston during the peak winter months by about $1/MMbtu compared with expectations from a year ago. However, pipeline constraints still exist in the Northeast, particularly into the New England market, contributing to significant basis differentials between New England prices and Henry Hub futures prices. These constraints could contribute to day-to-day price volatility during periods of cold temperatures.
The Winners Of 2017’s Renewable Revolution2017 was a great year for the world of offshore wind power. Here’s a recap of what we saw, and a look at what’s ahead. One of the most significant points in the calendar came in September, when energy from offshore wind became cheaper to generate than energy from nuclear power stations. Even more impressive was the fact that this occurred so quickly. RenewableUK’s Hugh McNeal called the breakthrough astounding. “Record-breaking cost reductions like the ones achieved by offshore wind are unprecedented for large energy infrastructure.”
It’s thanks to the technological advances that have created bigger turbines and higher voltage cables, as well as the abilities of wind farms to be increasingly situated in deep water. Prices have merrily slid to 47 percent lower than they were just two and a half years ago, when the last competitive auction results came out.
This year, we also saw the world’s first floating wind energy project become operational—the 30 MW Hywind farm park offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. This has been closely watched by the industry, which is keen to discover whether it’s possible for floating farms to scale up, and costs to come down, just as they have for farms that don’t float. This could be a game changer by meeting not only existing demand but also open up new markets in the U.S. and Japan. It was developed by Statoil, which is already working on its next large-scale project, though the final destination hasn’t yet been decided. The company is confident that floating wind farms will deliver the same benefits to costs as conventional wind farms have done in the recent past.
In October, New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hocul declared: “New York intends to be the preeminent global hub for the next generation of the wind industry. Offshore wind is essential to meeting New York’s ambitious energy goal and developing 2400 MW of offshore wind will generate thousands of jobs in our state.” There’s a good reason for the U.S.’s growing appreciation of offshore wind power: “I’m pretty shocked with all the cost reduction developments we’re seeing by the Danish, the Dutch, the Germans,” said Stephanie McClellan, a wind power expert at the University of Delaware. “Everything is moving in the right direction.” By reminding ourselves of the plan in place for three states (New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts) to develop farms with eight GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, it’s hard not to be impressed. And It’s not just limited to those states. As Cleantechnica reports, Offshore wind is also a hot topic in Maryland, California, and other coastal states. “You can feel the urgency to harness this new ocean energy resource coming from states and businesses competing to be first movers,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “Unlocking America’s vast offshore wind potential will reliably deliver large amounts of clean power, grow jobs, and cement American energy dominance.”
UK Smashes 13 Clean Energy Records In 2017The UK has halved its carbon emissions over the past five years.
UK Green energy records broken in 2017
- First 24-hour period without coal generated power
- Longest period without coal generation
- "Greenest summer" - more than half (52 per cent) of energy generated from low carbon sources
- Lowest amount of carbon produced by electricity production at any one moment
- Largest amount of energy produced from renewables at any one moment
- First time wind, nuclear, and solar produced more than gas and coal
- More electricity generated from solar energy than ever before at a single moment, producing a quarter of Britain's energy supply
- Highest percentage of solar produced relative to national demand
- Most wind power ever produced in a single day
- Most offshore wind power produced in a single moment
- Most electricity produced from all wind generation at any moment
- Most electricity produced from hydropower at any one moment
That all adds up to a record breaking 2017
UK carbon emissions drop to lowest level since 19th century, study findsThe UK’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen to their lowest level since the 19th century as coal use continues to plummet. Carbon emissions in 2016 were about 381m tonnes, putting the UK’s carbon pollution at its lowest level since 1894. Coal use has fallen by 74% in just a decade. The government has pledged that all the UK’s coal-fired power stations will be closed by 2025.
pstarr wrote:Trump is not going to do a damn thing about America's deteriorating infrastructure. The last 10 presidents couldn't or wouldn't because America's business is shopping malls and mcmansions. New shiny homes and no life. We don't have the will to tackle real projects anymore.
Some would say we don't need infrastructure . . . when we have AI, HyperLoopy and Trips to Mars.
vtsnowedin wrote:At this point Trump can't do much of anything. What it takes to get something done is all the 51 GOP Senators plus 17 Democratic Senators to agree that it is good for the country and for their reelection chances. He will take credit for anything that does pass but the white house will have had little or nothing to do with the actual work of coming up with passable bills.
pstarr wrote: And we need big cars because they are safer, can handle bad winters, and they carry stuff . . . children, dogs, luggage, tools and groceries.
But given that . . . my blood still boils when i see shiny new pickups without any evidence of having carried a tool or piece of lumber. I don't like big SUV's no matter how big the family. It is such a tragic waste
Regardless of who proposes it a gas tax increase won't be 50 cents all at once. More like a nickle rise every six months or a year to spread the impact around and not cause a backlash. But slow or fast it will rest on what they do with the money. Fix a lot of stuff that needs fixing efficiently and they will be heroes. Blow it on bridges to nowhere named after Senators and there will be a revolt.ROCKMAN wrote:Outcast - "...industry will fight that (to preserve profits) even harder than individuals..." And that's where you and I have agree to disagree. Let's see the Dems in Congress propose a $0.50 increase in motor fuel taxes before the midterm election. Or the Dem nominee for the next presidential do so. Or the Dems in Congress (which they'll likely control) do so after a Dem POTUS is likely elected in 2020. If I ran a Big Oil I wouldn't piss away a dollar on lobbyists trying to keep fuel taxes down. Don't need them...have the voters doing the job. LOL.
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