Global Warming

Discussion in 'The Thunderdome' started by kptvol, Oct 12, 2011.

  1. TennTradition

    TennTradition Super Moderator

    While it does exceed each individual renewable, the total size of the market is so much larger that I'm not sure how completely relevant that is.

    I'd be interested to see where these dollars go and why. For example, do the go to northeast producers? That would make sense as it is an Isolated market that needs winter gas. Cause there isn't much storage and takeaway capacity isn't there yet, the producers have a hard time making it through non-winter months given the differential they trade at through much of the year. If subsidies encourage more uniform production and avoid such significant winter supply shock, that could be a good investment.

    I did the math, the annual subsidy amounts to about 2 BCF of gas a day (at market price). That is about 2.5-3% of domestic production.
     
  2. TennTradition

    TennTradition Super Moderator

    IP covered it well.

    If you want to read up on geothermal you could check out Jeff Yester's the future of geothermal out of MIT. He was fairly optimistic. But more tied to res/com.
     
  3. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    I don't know any details. I just point out that energy subsidies exist across the board. I don't think the general public appreciates how much subsidies support advancing technology.
     
  4. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    Regarding floating wind, the University of Maine has a 1/6th demonstration project up and running right now. Their design utilizes only concrete bridge material, with the idea that it could be cheaply built domestically with existing infrastructure (pretty different than other offshore wind designs). Portugal has some demonstration projects as well, some of them actually run and operated by a US company from Oregon.
     
  5. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I'm not lookin' at a boogeyman. No lookin' at a boogeyman. No boogeyman. You're lookin' at a boogeyman.....


    Sorry. Door was open. Couldn't resist stepping in.


    I addressed the cost. Take the savings from defending other countries' oil and subsidize clean, renewable energy here. We would still have substantial savings in the federal budget. There would even be money left over for an even bigger 1% tax cut....

    Hell, I'm calling Paul Ryan to pitch this idea. He'd **** his drawers at the thought of an EVEN BIGGER 1% tax cut. It's as good as done, my friend!
     
  6. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Preach it, Brother Tradition!


    Somebody give the brother an, "AMEN!"
     
  7. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    We've got another brother straight up testifyin' up in here!

    AMEN, Brother IP. AAAAAAAAAAAMEN!
     
  8. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I've been on my tractor mowing in the hot sun since 8am.... My current attitude on livestock is, "Screw 'em! Let 'em starve!"
     
  9. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I saw something just this week about the last coal fired plant in either Massachusetts or possibly all of New England is shutting down in the very near future.

    Coal. Is. Dead.

    Ain't no amount of MAGAing gonna bring it back either.
     
  10. TennTradition

    TennTradition Super Moderator

    Having some coal helps put a ceiling on natural gas prices in the winter so I'm happy to see some say in the power mix. Every 20 cents that gas prices rise, 1 BCF/d worth of coal turns on and that gas turns off. That holds pretty well up to about 4.00 where the switch gets harder.
     
  11. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I'm intrigued by tidal generators too. That's some cool stuff.

    Along the same lines, you could also have current generators in rivers without the expensive dam buildouts & maintenance. I could power my entire house using a current generator in the river right behind my house. Really cool stuff that would put America First! in every sense of the phrase.
     
  12. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Very.
     
  13. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    There are non-photovoltaic options for solar. They are actually in line with tried & true steam driven turbine production. Parabolic mirrors focus the sun's energy into a concentrated beam that is focused on a tube filled with a bioproduced oil. The oil rapidly heats up & is used to convert water into steam that drives a turbine. Coal, natural gas, nuclear & this type of solar are exactly the same in every way except for medium used to heat water into steam.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2017
  14. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I didn't read this before my tidal/current generator post. Great minds truly think alike. :)
     
  15. TennTradition

    TennTradition Super Moderator

    That type of solar is now more expensive than solar PV.
     
  16. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Or you could take the stick out of your ass and lighten up a bit. I meant no malice.
     
  17. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    As I understand it, the only really cost effective geothermal usage in the US is geothermal heat pumps type stuff, but that is more of a cost saving measure for electricity usage and not true energy production.
     
  18. Volst53

    Volst53 Super Moderator

    I thought about going that route but the property that we just bought has a natural gas well on it.
     
  19. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Wow. I haven't seen any cost comparisons between the two.

    But, it's good to know if we get into a quandary over the rare earth material components.
     
  20. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    A guy that used to teach engineering with me did a geothermal heat pump. It works really well & he's seen significant savings over his traditional heat pump he had before.
     

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