Exactly. When the need arises to build a new power plant then we can start looking at the alts. Those currently existing ff plants will grow old and be in need of replacement eventually. You were going to have to spend $$$ anyway so might as well spend it building up more alts. To some extent this is already happening:ROCKMAN wrote:d - "You have to divert current consumption into investment in order to create the future renewable infrastructure so there's a bottleneck you have to pass through between here and there." I would add an even bigger circular logic problem then that: the monetary hurdle. Many will point out that the X alt would create cheaper energy the current ff source. But while that may be true that alt system doesn't exist. And the required capex needed to build out the alts will be in addition to those monies spent on ff systems that have to be maintained until the crossover is made. The savings from switching from the fossil fuels to the alts won't begin until they are in place.
Again back to the world class Texas wind power system. It has not replaced 1 Btu of ff source energy in the state despite supplying a bit more the 10% of our electricity consumption. More power plants had to be built to meet the fast growing demand in Texas. Thus the huge capex required for NEW fossil fuel fired plants had to compete with the cost of the turbines. And even though the state had to spend $7 BILLION of tax payers's money to expand the grid much if not most of that expense would have been required to accommodate new fossil fuel powered plants.
Energy Infrastructure Progress Reportkublikhan wrote:2012 renewable highlights:
* In the European Union, renewables accounted for almost 70% of additions to electric capacity in 2012, mostly from solar PV and wind power.
* The United States added more capacity from wind power than any other technology, and all renewables made up about half of total electric capacity additions during the year.
2013 renewable highlights:
* China's renewable power capacity additions surpassed new fossil fuel & nuclear additions for the first time.
* In the EU, renewables were 72% of new electric generating capacity. 10 years ago, fossil fuels represented 80% of additions in the EU.
2014 renewable highlights:
* Globally, renewables accounted for 59% of new power additions with more renewable capacity added than coal and gas combined.
* in the EU, renewables were 78% of new power additions.
2015 renewable highlights:
* Renewable energy investments hit a new record in 2015: $286 billion(excludes large hydro). This was more than double coal & natural gas investments in new capacity for 2015 of $130 billion.
* For the first time in history, total investment in renewable power and fuels in developing countries in 2015 exceeded that in developed economies.
* The world now adds more renewable power capacity annually than it adds (net) capacity from all fossil fuels combined.
Same goes for the grid infrastructure. The US grid is showing it's age and is in need of an upgrade anyway. Might as well upgrade it to a smart grid while we are making those $$$ outlays.
And given our current limitations, I think 100% renewable is too ambitious of a target for the entire country. It is just more economical to have some ff generation around. Especially given the current limitations of grid energy storage.
