In a radical move, the CEO of an oil giant actually defended oil. The energy transition is falling apart so fast, even the prime targets of hate, the Big Oil Men themselves, are now openly pointing out what a waste of time and money solar and wind power are. Alternative energy sources have been unable to displace hydrocarbons at scale, despite the world investing more than $9.5 trillion over the past two decades. Wind and solar currently supply less than 4% of the world’s energy.
Other growth areas are heat pumps and EVs. As RE expands into the market of production, EVs and heat pumps are expanding into the market of consumption. The science of AGW shows us the faster we move off of consumption of FFs for energy, the better it is for human life and all other life forms on earth.
ReplyDeletehttps://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/17/us-eia-predicts-solar-will-account-for-58-of-new-electricity-generation-capacity-in-us-in-2024/
The US Energy Information Agency issued its latest report on February 15, 2024. According to its Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, the US energy sector expects to add 62.8 GW of new utility-scale electricity generating capacity in 2024. That in and of itself is not startling news. The EIA says the US generates nine times more electricity today than it did in 1950. As electricity continues to replace fossil fuels to power vehicles, heat and cool buildings, and make industrial products like steel and cement, the demand is expected to double or triple again by 2050.
That 62.8 GW of new electricity capacity planned for this year will be 55 percent more than the 40.4 GW of electricity that was added in 2023. The vast majority — 36.4 GW, or 58 percent — will come from new utility-scale solar installations. Last year, only 18.4 GW of solar capacity was added to the grid as supply chain and permitting issues continued to impact the solar industry. In addition, another 14.3 GW, or 23 percent, will be provided by new battery storage facilities, 23 percent of the total. In all, solar and battery storage will be responsible for more than 80 percent of all new electricity capacity in the US this year.
Meanwhile in China they are building hundreds of coal-fired power stations. Now if renewables were so much cheaper and also reliable I wonder why they are being so silly?
ReplyDeleteChina is the largest investor of RE in the world. They also are the largest buyers of EVs in the world. I don't like that they are such heavy users of coal, but they may just surprise us down the road.
Deletehttps://cleantechnica.com/2023/11/01/chinas-coal-boom-includes-775-gw-of-shelved-canceled-or-closed-plants/
China’s Coal Boom Includes 775 GW Of Shelved, Canceled, Or Closed Plants
But narratives neglect to mention that 775 GW of coal generation that was operational and shut down, or didn’t make it to construction at all. Much of that shut-down older generation used the worst coal technologies which emit the most carbon dioxide per MWh, about 1.4 tons, while much of the operating and most of the in-construction coal generation is modern coal technology which emits about 0.8 tons per MWh.
Shelved and canceled coal generation plants that never reached construction are 652 GW by themselves, which dwarfs the 255 GW that are currently in pre-construction. The likelihood that much of the 255 GW of coal generation in the pre-construction pipeline doesn’t reach construction or operation is high, and the likelihood of operational and in-construction plants are mothballed or decommissioned entirely is high as well.
You have not explained why China continues to build new coal-fired power stations. The answer can only be - because they are needed and superior to renewables.
ReplyDeleteWhen Germany's natural gas was cut off, they fired their coal plants back up to meet energy demand. Germany will eventually lay off their coal plants and so will China in time. That is in China's 5 year plans. Also China is a leader in the world of clean tech.
ReplyDeleteDo you trust China?
ReplyDeleteThey are predictable. I like the chinese people and I am disapointed in the chinese government.
ReplyDelete