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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
As far as carbon dioxide... re-creating that spreadsheet is going to take some time. Family is pissed that I've spent so much time here, so it will have to wait a couple of weeks.

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±800 kV UHVDC transmission project
One of the world's longest transmission links with breakthrough technology
The Xiangjiaba - Shanghai transmission was the first UHVDC (Ultra High Voltage Direct Current) project to go into commercial operation in the world in July 2010. State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) is the owner and ABB was the main technology supplier. The project was completed in 30 months, one year ahead of schedule. This line is a test case- the Central Committee will probably decide later this year whether to go foreward with nation-wide energy distribution, or develop power regionally.

The ±800 kV Xiangjiaba-Shanghai UHVDC link, with a rated power of 6 400 MW, has the capacity to transmit up to 7 200 MW of power from the Xiangjiaba hydropower plant, located in the southwest of the country, to Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial center, approximately 2,000 kilometers away.

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Originally posted by 1kiki:

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The position that it's gonna be difficult to replace fossil energy with renewbles? Yeah. I stick by that.

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Why difficult? Germany went from "6.3 percent of the national total in 2000 to about 25 percent in the first half of 2012" *. And it didn't seem to hurt their economy any. What it takes first is a policy, then a direction for investments. If you're going to be investing, why invest in another coal-fired plant?

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Pumped storage in the U.S. is around 21.8 Gigawatts. Sounds like a lot. However, generating capacity in the U.S. is 945 GW. So all the pumped storage in the U.S. can hold slightly more than 2% of the power that can be generated. Yep. That's a solution.

So you saw a big number (127,000MW) and thought that was impressive without checking on what it actually meant. What it meant was that it was pointless to continue the discussion with you.

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Yes, because I don't read research reports of bona fide researchers and the DOE like the one below, who actually ferret out the facts and run the figures, unlike you. Oh wait, you'd rather claim that it's all in the laboratory stages, that I've posted these are 100% solutions, and that I'm waving my arms about magical stuff.


Theoretically, hydropower can step in when wind turbines go still, but barriers to this non-polluting resource serving as a backup are largely policy- and regulation-based, according to Penn State researchers.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently examined the feasibility of producing 20% of U.S. electricity from wind by 2030.

"Texas is either there or close," said Blumsack. "During certain periods, as much as 30% of their energy is generated by wind."

Hydroelectric dams cannot simply release water to meet some electricity demand or hold back water when electricity is in low demand. Plants operate using guide curves that consider not only electric production, but also drinking water needs, irrigation, fish and wildlife requirements, recreation and minimum levels for droughts. These guide curves are created by the government agencies regulating the particular dam—in the case of Kerr, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—but in other places it could be the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Colorado River Authority or other entities.

The researchers determined that the Kerr Dam could accommodate the unexpected variations in wind energy, but only if those operating the dam were allowed to meet the guide curve requirements over a two-week rather than one-week period of time.

"Changing guide curves is complex, time-consuming and may even require an act of Congress," said Blumsack.

"Operational conflicts may be significantly reduced if the time length of the guide curve schedule was altered, yet such regulatory changes prove quite challenging given the institutional barriers surrounding water rights in the U.S.," said the researchers, who also include Patrick M. Reed, professor of civil engineering, Cornell University.

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