Take care of the launchpad before launching Project Apollo

[IDemo]

In almost every discussion of energy solutions, one glaring omission occurs: Tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars will be invested in the U.S. power grid over coming decades. Sixty percent of our energy system’s aging infrastructure will need to be replaced in the next decade or two. Even if nuclear, solar, wind and tidal all arrive together as safe, viable solutions to energy delivery, the demands on the pipeline for that energy will increase tremendously. Any and all grid-tied energy sources will only add to the load on our already badly overloaded electrical infrastructure.

All of the talk of an "Apollo project" (or "Manhattan project") for nuclear vs alternative energy can disguise equally or greater concerns and/or solutions. The first of these, without question, is conservation, consuming less, and powering down the American 'lifestyle'. No number of nuke plants or pig shit powered cars will sustain our society in anything like its present form through the middle of this century.

But, given that a wide range of technologies will be employed to various degrees, getting the delivery channel for all those joules ready for the load must be taken care of first.

[XemaSab]

1. That is being worked on

We're doing quite a few powerline siting studies at work.

Good times.

[IDemo]

2. Nowhere near rapidly enough

from a 2001 article -

The most pressing concern of the U.S. power infrastructure may not be the availability of its fossil fuels, or even its overworked energy plants, but rather the power grid system that carries electricity from the nation's power producers to utilities, and from utilities to consumers. What few people realize is that without the necessary investment and regulation, the aging and highly inefficient grid will soon be unable to meet the escalating electricity demands, leading to higher energy costs and California-style blackouts. By 2008 it is predicted that the demand for electricity will rise by 19%. Unfortunately, the grid's capacity to carry that power is projected to decline by 12% during the same time. As an estimate of the growing severity of the grid's problems, consider that since 1998 alone, the number of overloaded power line incidents has skyrocketed from 24 to 89 per month.

http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2001/07/easing_the_grip.html?t=archive

[XemaSab]

3. Talk to me next month

when I'm out wandering the desert in San Bernardino county. :P

[IDemo]

4. Forgive me if I don't feel your desert wanderings will reverse the trend

The national grid is suffering from a decades long period of neglect. I'm glad for what you are (apparently) doing in the valley, but the hundreds of billions of dollars and years of work required to keep the system from serious overload (some have said as soon as in 2008) have been too late in coming.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Yet another reason why I would want an off-the-grid home, but

here in Maine that's not really allowed from what I understand.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Nothing will happen until people start to suffer and die

That is the way our civilization functions.

--p!