Ohbse said:
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The decisions that you're referencing, who do you think makes them? You might say politicians or CEO's or even us individuals, but the only answer is money. If you want to influence moving away from fossil fuel sources the only option is to make them *more expensive*. Plenty of countries have done this, those with strong moral obligation and the resources to pay for increased energy prices. Germany, Denmark etc lead the way by leveraging additional costs on fossil sources or subsidizing renewables. .......
Unfortunately that model is broken. Both Germany and Denmark are rethinking their energy markets.
Those countries ( and add our own state od South Australia in there too) have not leveraged subsidy and rebates costs onto Fossil fuel sources, but onto Electricity costs generally such that they have the highest power costs in the world.
The energy market had been deliberately manipulated to fund RE investment
If it could be a free open market without subsidies, and consumers could choose between sources at true costs, then the situation would be different.
RE (Wind, Solar) generation costs are no where near competitive with thermal options in a free market
....Armchair engineering the optimum spread of technologies and arguing the merits of your picks doesn't help shit. You should be encouraging the growing perception that renewable energy is a feasible replacement, not naysaying the incredibly encouraging progress that is being made.
Why should anyone encourage a "perception" that may be false ?
If it is as economical as you believe, it will sell itself. Money will certainly drive the direction
If it is not as simple as you think, with potential major implications not being disclosed, then it is essential that these issues are identified and explained before real problems occurr, and i dont mean just crippling high energy costs.
Note, several states here have now advised of new "Demand Management " schemes for the coming summer..
( EG.. Dont run A/c below 26degC, turn off pool pumps, reshedule industrial smelters, etc, etc) in order to reduce peak demand by possibly 200MW.
There is a real danger of "rolling blackouts" this year.
This is a DIRECT result of lack of government policy to maintain sufficient "base load" as coal fired generation has been shut down, The energy "market" is like many countries , with grants, subsidies, tax breaks , etc for RE projects..so that is all that has been built..obviously good business with much money to be made..too much to the wrong people !
What is needed is a balance of technologies to enable a reliable, consistent, supply, which will need to be planned and managed , not just left to somehow hope it develops by chance.