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California Moves To Require 100% Clean Electricity by 2045 (bloomberg.com)

California's assembly has voted to move the state's electricity completely off fossil fuels. The state assembly this week passed S.B. 100, a proposal to transition California to 100 percent emissions-free electricity sources by 2045. A report adds: The Assembly voted 43-32 in favor of the legislation Tuesday. It would eliminate the reliance on fossil fuels to power homes, businesses and factories in the world's fifth-largest economy, accelerating a shift already under way. The state currently gets about 44 percent of its power from renewables and hydropower. California has positioned itself to lead the battle against climate change by cutting emissions even as the Trump administration has worked to roll back the state's stringent auto pollution standards and prop up ailing coal-fired power plants. Earlier this year, California became the first U.S. state to mandate solar rooftop panels on almost all new homes. It would be the second state to require 100 percent carbon-free power after Hawaii.

282 comments

  1. What if the feds say no? by treymichaelcook · · Score: 1, Insightful

    What if the Federal government says no to that? I mean, the feds could pass a bill requiring that people purchase a certain percentage of their electricity from coal or natural gas if they wanted too. We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

    1. Re:What if the feds say no? by TFlan91 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

      The ACA mandate is (was) just that.

      Same argument as the ACA mandate, for the betterment of society, you old "get off my lawn" timers can, how did you say it, "move".

    2. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if the Federal government says no to that? I mean, the feds could pass a bill requiring that people purchase a certain percentage of their electricity from coal or natural gas if they wanted too. We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

      but the states' rights though...

    3. Re:What if the feds say no? by Desler · · Score: 1

      We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

      So no different to states doing the same thing by requiring you to buy car insurance when you want to obtain a drivers' license. And just lime with the ACA failure to "engage in commerce" will mean you will face fines and license revocation.

    4. Re:What if the feds say no? by Desler · · Score: 2

      And states require you to buy liability insurance to obtain a drivers license and to legally drive on public roads. Even in the state of Texas whose AG was one of the biggest whiners about the ACA mandate.

    5. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mandatory insurance was never a power enumerated to the Federal government or banned by it. Therefore, it is reserved by the the Several States to implement as their residents see fit.

    6. Re:What if the feds say no? by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Not exactly the same. You don't have to have a driver's license. There is no similar way to opt out of healthcare (unless being unemployed actually exempts you - but that's a little more severe).

    7. Re:What if the feds say no? by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      The ACA is really quite toothless when it comes down to it though.

      The government says that they'll make you pay a fee, but the reality is that the only way for them to collect it is to take it out of your tax refund. However, there's nothing to stop you from setting up your taxes such that nothing is withheld for you and that you always need to pay in rather than paying too much in initially and getting a refund later. As stated on the U.S. government site for the ACA: "There are no liens, levies, or criminal penalties for failing to pay the fee."

      So, no, the government can't really force you to engage in commerce against your will. Unless you're a baker who doesn't like gay weddings. Maybe. They're still trying to work that one out.

    8. Re:What if the feds say no? by Desler · · Score: 1

      Not exactly the same.

      Only through mental gymnastics. It's still forcing me to "engage in commerce" whether I want to or not.

      You don't have to have a driver's license.

      You do if you have to get to your job and there are no publc transportation options. Which is a thing for numerous people. Many people don't have the luxury of exempting themsleves from being able to drive.

      There is no similar way to opt out of healthcare (unless being unemployed actually exempts you - but that's a little more severe).

      Sure there is. You don't buy it and face the fine.

    9. Re:What if the feds say no? by imgod2u · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hence why we vote in Federal elections. And if the majority of State representatives agree to such a provision, I guess we'll all just have to accept it.

      It's almost like we live in a governed Federation instead of a do-anything-you-want clusterfuck of rogue nation-states.

    10. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

      The ACA mandate is (was) just that.

      Did you know that hospitals are forbidden to refuse lifesaving treatments on people, even if they don't know if that person will be able to pay the bills? But the money for those bills still needs to come from somewhere. The ACA-related tax was simply fixing that flaw in the system.

    11. Re:What if the feds say no? by omnichad · · Score: 1

      It's not a fine, it's a tax. As much as they wanted to say otherwise, it's a tax. A tax that did try to force you to "engage in commerce" which was exactly my argument on the ACA.

      You do if you have to get to your job and there are no publc transportation options.

      True, but it still more closely fits the definition of optional compared to the ACA example. Having a job is optional even if life is terrible without one.

    12. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sure there is. You don't buy it and face the fine.

      You can opt out of health insurance. But you can;t opt out of healthcare. Unless you're claiming that you can guarantee that you will never get sick or be in an accident? That's the real difference that is missed when people complain about the health insurance mandate. Unless you're willing to sign a contract that if you have a heart attack we should just leave you in a ditch (or you're willing to put up an escrow account with funds for any foreseeable treatment, including a few million for cancer treatment) you can't really say that you're opting out of healthcare. People who don't want to pay for insurance because they are not sick are idiots.

    13. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're comparing apples to oranges. You could choose NOT to drive. You couldn't' choose not to have health insurance ( without paying a fee).
      An equal comparison would be if you didn't have a car and drive on public roads in Texas, you'd be charged and increasing sum yearly until you did.

    14. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't understand our system of law apparently, that's interesting.

    15. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No , if you do the math and then owe $500 dollars to the IRS and don't pay it, you go to jail.
      That was the original plan. The only reason that isn't happening... republicans.

    16. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Yeah, sure. Republicans. Who don't give a fuck about poor people or BLACK people or anyone else who isn't lilly-white and monied.
      I'm not even for the ACA, I hate having to be forced to buy insurance I can't really afford, but let's be honest: the GOP hates non-white people and poor people of any color, and they don't need the ACA they have their own insurance or just pay out of pocket because they're The Rich.

    17. Re:What if the feds say no? by IcyWolfy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Hospital ER cannot turn you away for not having health insurance, and having no means to pay.
      A non-trivial amount of operational costs for a hospital is covering ER visits for people with colds, flus, and non-insured; who all default on payment, with no means of covering their visit.
      Many of the complications could have been dealt with for pennies on the dollar should the individual have had insurance, and simply seen the doctor before the illness progressed.

      One cannot opt out of the health system.
      One should not be able to opt out of paying for it.

    18. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if the Federal government says no to that? I mean, the feds could pass a bill requiring that people purchase a certain percentage of their electricity from coal or natural gas if they wanted too.

      Then the Federal Government will have to explain which of its Constitutional powers it is invoking. But hey, I'm already forced to do that, so why would they bother? Don't they have another 50 fake ACA repeals to pass?

      We now have legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce against your will.

      You mean the US Constitution? Try form an entire government whether I will it or not.

      You're only complaining now? Why? Don't tell me, you're still taking money from Enron to shill?

    19. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      One should not be able to opt out of paying for it.

      .

      All the ACA really is, is a new TAX. And it fucked up the health insurance situation and many people are now far worse off than they
      were before. The ACA is crap created by that lying sack of shit Obama, who broke more promises than can be listed here.

      And clueless idiots like you eat Obama bullshit up like it was a good meal.

      Fuck you, I hope you get an incurable disease and no hospital can help you, you arrogant prick.

    20. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't matter what you choose or don't choose in many cases. I CHOSE to have no hookups to Chattanooga sewage. I have a septic tank. I STILL have to pay approx 2x the amout of city water I purchased that month even though I have ZERO effluent. There are no exceptions...unless you're a corporation. I'm probably gonna go incorporate myself just to avoid this FORCED TAX.

    21. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "One cannot opt out of the health system."

      Yes, you can. You could opt to NOT go to the ER. You can file an advanced healthcare directive declining all treatment.

    22. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      However, that flaw in the system still exists.

      And now, so does the legal precedent that the feds can force you to engage in commerce...

    23. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But you can;t opt out of healthcare.

      I agree with you, but technically you can. I know one old lady up here in the backwoods of the Smokey Mountains that has never been to a doctor, at all, period. She was born in a shack in the woods and finds/grows all her medications in the woods but I've never seen her sick besides a couple cases of the sniffles. She never had kids. She's a special kind of person. She is an outlier. I just felt the overwhelming need to be technically correct, the best kind of correct. Carry on!

    24. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, different than states requiring insurance. Obtaining a driver's license is optional and a privilege. Existing is not....

      Plus, most states offer a non-insurance option. For example: in California, you can instead put down a large cash deposit with the DMV or obtain a surety bond.

      There's also the issue that the licensing and insurance requirements are linked to the usage of a public resource. A 12 year old can buy a race car and drive it at 100 MPH, all without a license/insurance/registration, so long as it's not done on public roads. The ACA, however, isn't linked to anything other than your existence.

      With the ACA, they attached a requirement to buy something simply because you exist. That's kinda new... (unless you count the Militia Act's requirement to obtain a rifle, but unlike the ACA, that has no enforcement mechanism in law)

    25. Re:What if the feds say no? by harrkev · · Score: 1

      And states require you to buy liability insurance to obtain a drivers license and to legally drive on public roads

      But driving on roads is a CHOICE. If you don't own a car, no insurance needed.

      Plus, even insurance is not technically necessary. If you are very wealthy then you can choose to "self-insure." That just means that you have enough money set aside to cover damages in case you cause an accident.

      ACA was not a choice. If you make over a certain income, health insurance is mandatory for every citizen.

      To make your analogy more accurate you need to force people who live in cities and don't even own a car to buy liability insurance...

      --
      "-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
    26. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      What if the Federal government says no to that?

      California has a long and rich history of telling the federal government where to stick their intrusive laws. We call ourselves the "People's Republic of California", and that's just how we like it.

      Our laws are more likely to be enforced in other states than federal laws are to be enforced here.

      You want our weed, vapes and edibles? Come and take them.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    27. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Informative

      The ACA mandate is (was) just that.

      Are you still upset about having to get health insurance? You know it was a plan concocted by the conservative Heritage Foundation and first signed into law by a Republican, right?

      But don't worry, if you're really that opposed, you can help us fight for universal, single-payer health care. The line forms right behind me. There are no other options that don't bankrupt the country.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    28. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Did you know that hospitals are forbidden to refuse lifesaving treatments on people, even if they don't know if that person will be able to pay the bills?

      No, that's not true. Yes, it's the law, but there is a practice called, "patient dumping" that is very common. Hospitals use it if they conduct an exploratory procedure on your wallet and find that you can't afford to be saved.

      If you are poor and you show up at a hospital and the only thing that will save your life is chemo, you will be sent away.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    29. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering if you have a car, home or anything else of value, they can put a lien on it if you don't pay. Sure, if you have absolutely nothing of value then you can just go get free healthcare. It will ruin your credit, but who cares. Also, if you have zero documentation and just continue to act dumb, that helps too. Harder to do that if you aren't brown or yellow and pretend not to speak English. The rest of us can't get away with the "me no speak English" bit.

      As soon as you get ANYTHING, they will go at least threaten to go after it if they don't outright.

      So while they can't refuse to see you, they can definitely ruin your life afterward. Enough debt and you will wish you had just skipped the hospital and died.

    30. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if the Federal government says no to that?

      California has a long and rich history of telling the federal government where to stick their intrusive laws.

      Only when it disagrees with them. CA also has a long and rich history of not only enforcing the intrusive federal laws it likes, but making up new intrusive laws...

      You want to run a sale to raise money for your local school? Get a permit

    31. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It must be awful being so close the the Retardstanis in the middle though.
      You have to pay for the inbred redneck dumbfucks too.

    32. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can simply choose not to work, just like I can choose not to travel under your logic...

    33. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1, Funny

      It must be awful being so close the the Retardstanis in the middle though.
      You have to pay for the inbred redneck dumbfucks too.

      The Republicans you find inland are decent people. They mean well. Here in California, we have some affection for them, the way you would for the kids that come to school on the short bus. We don't make fun of them or bully them. We just don't let them get behind the wheel.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    34. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, you can. ... You can file an advanced healthcare directive declining all treatment.

      The ACA could have been vastly improved by leaving people this option.

    35. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      One cannot opt out of the health system.
      One should not be able to opt out of paying for it.

      Guess who is most likely to use an ER and not pay: illegal immigrants. Amazing that they are also exempt from the ACA.

      Pitiful how some people follow a collective that stabs them in the back while forcing them to buy bandages.

    36. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, there we go - the neo-liberal war cry. "I don't agree, therefore RACISM."

      You are an idiot.

    37. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if Caligag moved to make nibbers smart by 2045. nature hasn't managed that task in 14-M years, but the Cali-gaffots spew noproblemmo like tru beeners. ... Let's not monkey around with stupid.

    38. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Please stop lying.

      ACA-like plans were not "concocted" by the Heritage foundation, and they certainly weren't supported by them. Heritage published an issue with MANY writers proposing different ways to improve the health-care market; one of the articles proposed mandatory participation. Several other writers wrote articles *attacking* that article, on legal, moral, and economic grounds.

      Additionally, no, Romney did not support the Mass. version - he attempt to VETO the damned bill, and the Democrat controlled legislature overrode his veto. I'm not sure how much more 'opposing' a bill you can get than trying to veto it.

    39. Re:What if the feds say no? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      Bullshit, My uncle died last year to cancer. Sorry to say eh was a leech on society, but he was treated all the way to hospice by the tax payer dollar. He even bought a house(I swear on my life, was a foreclosure for 150k) with his SSDI and "other means"..

    40. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Informative

      Additionally, no, Romney did not support the Mass. version - he attempt to VETO the damned bill

      Mitt Romney signed the Massachusetts bill on April 12, 2006. He tried to veto certain provisions of it using his line-item veto, but go overridden on those. But the actual bill itself was not vetoed by Mitt Romney. He signed it.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Before you call someone a liar, get your facts straight.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    41. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And states require you to buy liability insurance to obtain a drivers license and to legally drive on public roads

      But driving on roads is a CHOICE. If you don't own a car, no insurance needed.

      Plus, even insurance is not technically necessary. If you are very wealthy then you can choose to "self-insure." That just means that you have enough money set aside to cover damages in case you cause an accident.

      ACA was not a choice. If you make over a certain income, health insurance is mandatory for every citizen.

      To make your analogy more accurate you need to force people who live in cities and don't even own a car to buy liability insurance...

      That’s buuuullll shiiiit. If I drop liability insurance I won’t be able to renew my registration and I can lose my license if I get caught. I’ll also have to pay for 70 miles of Uber each day.

      I declined health insurance through my work for the first two years of ACA being in effect and all I got was a smaller refund. The “fee” was less than the cost of my share of the high deductible family plan being offered through work. The fee is based on your income, and mine is high. I saved a lot of money, and I understand part of my tax refund went towards funding insurance plans for people that really needed them. I’m not crying over it

    42. Re:What if the feds say no? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1, Funny

      Devolving power to the states is all part of Trump's plan. Stop falling for it! Resist! Keep the power in the hands of the federal government where it belongs.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    43. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

      The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States;

      Right there it is, in two places.

      It's enumerated, and congress can tax to pay for it. ANYTHING that promotes the welfare of the people of the United States is within the power of the federal government.

      That certainly includes healthcare.

      The ACA isn't the ideal method, of course. It's time for the United States National Health Service - use eminent domain to take all the hospitals and doctors' offices, and hire all the healthcare workers as government employees.

      But the ACA is well within the power of the federal government.

    44. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      She still hasn't opted out. Let's say she falls and hurts herself. A hiker happens to walk down the trail, sees her hurt and unconscious. He radios for help, Lifestar flies out, picks her up, takes her to UT Hospital, the nearest trauma center. She's treated for an injured leg, a concussion, and dehydration.

    45. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Everyone is a libertarian until the neighbor doesn't mow their lawn."

      The reason is that the neighbors lawn has an impact on the value of your house.
      Turns out that there is a lot of little things like that when you live in a society.
      Your neighbors staying sick instead of getting treatment is something that endangers you.

      People like to pick and choose what parts of society they want and what parts they don't, but it really doesn't work that way.

    46. Re:What if the feds say no? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Just to let you know, because people don't really realise. The natural gas from fracking, those wells, have only really limited capacity. like around 20 years and then its over, nothing but a whole lot of extremely contaminated fracking fluid left in the ground, waiting to leak into the usable ground water above. That 2045 date, most fracking wells will have run dry, well of natural gas, still produce tons of radioactive elements and heavy metals, will do so for thousands of years and over the coming years, all of them will fail and leak to the surface. So yeah, 2045, not much natural gas, sure radon, but it don't last long but it will continue to be produced and it doesn't take all that much to reduce you life expectancy.

      Talk about banning in > 25 years is just typical corporate designed schmoose for the suckers, well be clean, of course we will, we will stop poisosing and killing you before your time, yah hoo *. The asterisks counts but they will continue to shorten your life for the next 25 years, fuck you suckers. Any talk about banning anything beyond your fucking period in office is utter bullshit, feel good rubbish to suck in votes. Talk about banning in your time in office otherwise shut the fuck up liars.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    47. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The ACA is nothing different to the constitutiion itself. Did YOU agree to it? Can you refuse to agree with the constitution? No? then you're being forced to engage in "commerce" against your will. ACA is just as much about commerce as the constitution is (for example, the state commerce clause forces you to deal with other states equally).

    48. Re: What if the feds say no? by whodunit · · Score: 1

      And you'll resist the Federal Marshalls with all those assault weapons you banned and no longer have? "MOLON LA- oops!"

    49. Re:What if the feds say no? by cmseagle · · Score: 1

      The Hospital ER cannot turn you away for not having health insurance, and having no means to pay.

      In the United States, that's not technically true. The law that requires hospitals to provide emergency medical care, EMTALA, only applies to hospitals that accept Medicare or Medicaid payments. Practically that is almost all American hospitals, but you do have pediatric hospitals that never see Medicare patients and do choose to opt out of certain Medicare incentive programs. Purely for PR and ethical reasons I can't imagine any of them would opt out of EMTALA, but technically they could.

    50. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not the participation that's the problem for many. I would love to see single payer but that is not what we have. The insurance industry has past employees who are in tears wanting to confess what they did for the insurance companies. They selected who would likely die without being able to effectively mount a defense to get coverage that was paid for. the insurance companies then denied coverage to those it evaluated as fleeceable and murderable. ACA requires us to be clients of these vile organizations. Forced participation in a community based system seems justifiable for some cases. requiring people to do business with proven vile and corrupt businesses is unconscionable.

    51. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Requiring that we enrich other people to do it (who have nothing to do with the process other than acting as the bagman) is not the correct answer though. When industries are allowed to lobby for their own existence because "jobs", we will continue to do things wrong.

    52. Re:What if the feds say no? by dwillden · · Score: 1

      No it's not just out of your refund. If you owe taxes, and got hit with the ACA fine, then you owed more taxes. The only way to avoid it was to be so poor as to qualify for tax credits, or have employer based insurance.

      --
      I'm too lazy to compose a creative sig.
    53. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We don't make fun of them...

      You literally did in your previous sentence.

    54. Re:What if the feds say no? by whitroth · · Score: 1

      But that would be against free choice, and against smaller businesses, and unfunded government mandates, and against disruptive innovation, and....

    55. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But don't worry, if you're really that opposed, you can help us fight for universal, single-payer health care. The line forms right behind me. There are no other options that don't bankrupt the country.

      Strangely enough, the Swiss haven't gone bankrupt, and they don't have single-payer. I don't think the Dutch have it either.

      Health care in Switzerland is excellent, and the costs are consistent with the cost of living there - and considerably less than what the USA pays (17% of GDP for USA, 11% for Switzerland - plus far less concentration of wealth).

      Single-payer is a not a requirement. Heavily regulating health care IS the requirement, because it will be part of any solution (whether single-payer or following the Swiss model).

    56. Re:What if the feds say no? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Strangely enough, the Swiss haven't gone bankrupt, and they don't have single-payer. I don't think the Dutch have it either.

      Health care in Switzerland is excellent, and the costs are consistent with the cost of living there - and considerably less than what the USA pays (17% of GDP for USA, 11% for Switzerland - plus far less concentration of wealth).

      Both Switzerland and the Netherlands have universal health care, via mandated health insurance. That means the government requires you to buy health insurance.

      So basically the two countries you point to have the equivalent of Obamacare.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    57. Re:What if the feds say no? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the alternative to letting people 'opt out of paying' for the health system is letting them die in the streets. That's not really my favorite option.

  2. California mandates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thanks to CA mandates all CA cars went zero emissions 18 years ago.

    Doubtless this mandate will be equally effective.

    1. Re:California mandates by bluelip · · Score: 1

      Zero emissions. 18 years ago.
      Someone is full of their own shtuff.

      --

      Yep, I never spell check.
      More incorrect spellings can be found he
    2. Re:California mandates by Hadlock · · Score: 0

      Pretty close! The exhaust coming out of a brand new 2001 honda civic is often cleaner than the air it's driving in. Not that you would want to inhale that much carbon monoxide, but in terms of soot/fine matter particulate, passenger vehicles produce almost no smog. It's mostly heavy industry at this point.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    3. Re:California mandates by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You're quite amusing, but it's worth reflecting on how effective California's emissions regulations actually have been. We literally discovered that automobiles caused smog, and California's relentless push for stricter emissions standards can be credited with the bulk of the progress we have made as a nation.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:California mandates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh, no. The 1920s 'discovered' smog, and states began passing laws to limit emissions as early as the 1950s. The California laws you are trying to take credit for actually came AFTER the Federal government had already passed nationwide emission laws!

      Those standards account for almost all of the cleanliness that carmakers have added; California regulations account for something like 15% or less of the improvement (depending on which gas/particle you measure).

    5. Re:California mandates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jesus Christ. Stupid alert. Where do you think think the word smog comes from? It is a portmanteau of smoke and fog.
      It is derived from the London smog episode in 1952. Quote from the article: "The smoke, soot and sulfur dioxide from the area’s industries along with that from cars and consumer energy usage caused extraordinarily heavy smog to smother the city. "

      Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/smog-kills-thousands-in-england

  3. So Coal Then! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gooooo! Coal!

    1. Re:So Coal Then! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only if we wash the coal really well first.

    2. Re:So Coal Then! by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      "Clean coal", LOL!!! https://www.scientificamerican...

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    3. Re:So Coal Then! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Read your signature again.

    4. Re:So Coal Then! by blindseer · · Score: 1, Troll

      Only if we wash the coal really well first.

      Germany has been real good about "greenwashing" their coal. You see they buy up a bunch of sawdust and woodchips from lumber mills in the American southeast. They then load it all up on ships that burn bunker fuel, when it reaches German ports they load it onto diesel fuel powered trucks and trains, then burn this "green fuel" with their brown coal and pretend that they've lowered their CO2 footprint.

      They do this same "greenwashing" at the physical plant where I went to university. They burn "agricultural waste" with the coal for heating, cooling, and electricity on campus. They then get to pretend they made things "green" by diverting valuable material that used to be used for fertilizer and erosion control and turning it to worthless ash.

      I swear that these idiots that want to "save humanity from itself" are going to get us all killed. They are taking food and burning it. Civilizations collapsed from this.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    5. Re:So Coal Then! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Moderated: -1 Unwelcome Truth

  4. Behold the power of... by Type44Q · · Score: 2

    t would eliminate the reliance...

    behold the power of... words on paper. Words written on paper by politicians, even.

    1. Re:Behold the power of... by myth24601 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Words written on paper by politicians who will be out of office by the time the words are to have any meaning.

      --
      No matter where you go, there you are.
    2. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Words written on paper by politicians in California.
      we do need a wall! one around california. ...and one around florida.

    3. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can keep Florida but I have been planning for a long time a dispersed nation consisting of San Francisco, Paris, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon, and New York. Okay, San Francisco is not the whole of California, but we can take the whole, no problem, we'll mingle it together with parts of Bavaria, Mailand, and Swabia if we must.

    4. Re:Behold the power of... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      In other countries doing this kind of thing they enact laws to encourage it. Incentives for clean energy, disincentives for dirty energy.

      It then becomes quite difficult for their successors to retract them. Businesses and jobs build up around them, people object to things that make their quality of life worse etc.

      Plus it's California, can't see that state swinging hard right.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:Behold the power of... by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re "enact laws to encourage it"
      Low cost power is the key to attracting and keeping businesses.
      Businesses pay more and more for power and then move to another state.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    6. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Incentives for clean energy, disincentives for dirty energy.

      If only California would do that. Instead, they provide incentives for fossil+greenwashing, and discourage clean nuclear energy. Not unexpected when you elect a corrupt governer invested in fossil.

    7. Re: Behold the power of... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      It might happen: they of course won't use nuclear, so it's all about solar and wind. Solar and wind depend on new battery technology being invented. If that happens, then California will be able to reach their goal.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    8. Re: Behold the power of... by blindseer · · Score: 1

      No, getting batteries will be insufficient. Look at the costs of the different energy sources.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Coal and natural gas are still exceedingly cheap. Nuclear may cost 2x, 3x, or even 4x, of some wind and solar right now but it has the "storage" built into it. Fuel is storage. Remember that...

      Fuel is storage.

      Hydroelectric dams have an inherent storage ability in the water held up behind it. This water though is not unlimited, even with pumped storage, if that water is used for drinking and irrigation. I keep hearing that "the wind and sun is free." Well, natural gas and uranium are just as "free" as the wind and sun. Just like the wind and sun you get energy from uranium, natural gas, and coal, by building the devices to collect it and turn it to something useful. This is especially true for uranium, there's plenty of "free" uranium in even common topsoil and certainly plenty in seawater, all you have to do is build the devices to collect it and turn it into something useful. That's another thing to remember...

      Fuel is free.

      Even if you can turn this "free" wind and sun into electricity we get back to the costs of storing it. It may be "free" to anyone that goes out to get it but if you have to store it for when the wind and sun isn't there then it's not so "free" anymore, now is it? But fuel, whether in the form of uranium or coal, is storage and is also free to anyone that collects it then the storage is "free" too. That's something else to remember...

      Wind and sun are cheap until you have to store it.

      But your premise is that wind and sun will be all California needs once the batteries are cheap. But batteries don't care where the electricity comes from, they'll charge up on coal just as well as solar. Steam plants run best when run nice and "piping" hot all the time. They get real efficient, and therefore cheap, when run at or near max capacity. So take that cheap battery, charge it up with cheap coal or uranium fuel at night to meet the peaks through the day. If fuel is storage and fuel is free, then the only advantage batteries have over fuel is the potential for the more efficient use of that fuel. Wind and sun still vary day to day, season to season, and even hour to hour, on the availability. There's no futures market on wind and sun, but people can buy coal and uranium now to consume later. If no one digs it up then that fuel is still there in the ground. We are still talking about comparing an effectively unlimited supply of uranium, all stored up in the dirt and water from which people can draw from at any time and at any rate they choose, to wind and sun that can only be collected when and where nature has the whim to put it.

      Good luck with that clean energy plan, California. I suspect you'll end up in the warm embrace of nuclear power when reality slaps you in the face.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    9. Re: Behold the power of... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      You are right that California could do nuclear now, but you are wrong that they will. New battery technology will be invented and they will use it, or they will fail. Too many people oppose nuclear in California. They would literally rather have intermittent power failures.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    10. Re: Behold the power of... by blindseer · · Score: 1

      You are right that California could do nuclear now, but you are wrong that they will.

      Given enough time they will. I suppose that it's possible some new technology will come in the future to change this path but given the trends over the time since we discovered nuclear power it seems quite clear that this is how we will power the future. It will probably take 10 years for nuclear power to really get going now that we just got started again with a 45 year break in new construction. Japan realized pretty quickly the futility of abandoning nuclear power. California might have some options to play with for the next few years but those will run out due to costs and availability.

      Too many people oppose nuclear in California. They would literally rather have intermittent power failures.

      That might be a majority opinion among the population but the people that want to get work done can't tolerate this. They will fix this, and adopt nuclear power to do it, or see industry move out.

      I grew up on a dairy farm, and back then power outages were almost assured in any heavy storm so we took precautions. Long stretches of overhead lines are vulnerable to lightning, ice, wind, drunk drivers hitting rotted wood poles, and so on. The outages were inconvenient but we could still get work done on diesel power. I worked in a call center when a lightning strike knocked out power for a while. Again it was inconvenient but the diesel generators kicked in and we got back to work shortly. The California dairy farmers might tolerate these power outages because their power needs are different than a call center. The call centers, and other places that need a lot of computers and communications, will deal with power outages with diesel generators, big ones, or simply move the whole operation out of state. If California wants clean air and their technology industry then they will adopt nuclear power sooner or later.

      New battery technology will be invented and they will use it, or they will fail.

      I'm sure that they will use this new battery technology, and charge them up with nuclear power. Until fourth generation nuclear becomes the norm we'll be stuck with old existing second generation nuclear and the third generation nuclear that's coming online now, and these rely on steam to turn that heat from fission into electricity. Steam power doesn't handle rapid changes in load well, this will mean batteries nearby to even out the load in the near future. Even after fourth generation nuclear comes, which promises a far improved ability to load follow, batteries might come in handy for load following that's cheaper than dialing down a reactor and for providing backup in case of something going wrong. For example an earthquake or a wildfire might take out a power line and require backup until the line is repaired. Also, they will need batteries to manage their supply from wind and solar as they do now. I agree that it's batteries or failure.

      I just read an article on Ambri Inc. They are offering a new kind of battery that they claim is far cheaper than anything Tesla and others can offer. It's a molten metal technology so it's not suited for cell phones and electric vehicles, but it would be great on managing peaks and valleys on a grid with changing supply and demand. This is where I expect California to get their batteries.

      Batteries can make unreliable power reliable but they do not provide power themselves. Nuclear power is very reliable on it's own and so need far fewer batteries than unreliable wind and sun. This means nuclear and batteries will be in California's future.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    11. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Enforcement: minimal - Fines maybe upon home sale if not installed
      Home value: Higher resale value - The approx 20k install cost will be hidden by the current home values.
      Funding: minimal - this is a power company mandate
      Effect on electrical costs: Lower overall - consumer's fund the electrical upgrades but most pay less since they produce their own power.

      Paper tiger, maybe. But overall looks to be a win-win.

    12. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, since forever, the number one factor that companies look for is an educated workforce. I'm not sure "low cost power" even makes the top 10 (it might, but I don't recall ever seeing it mentioned). And what attracts bright, educated workers? Having clean air for themselves and their children.

    13. Re:Behold the power of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like the Founding Fathers, yes?

    14. Re:Behold the power of... by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re "And what attracts bright, educated workers?"
      Clean streets, low crime? the ability for the company they work for to pay the cost of power?
      Once that power cost gets too large, competitive brands with lower power costs start to offer lower prices for the same goods and services.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  5. California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    California is having a trade surplus to other states. Not importing coal or energy from fossil fuels from trade deficit states, such as WV, TN, PA, does not help with balanced trade. We should wage a trade war against California. All states with trade deficit to CA should impose 50% tariff to all CA products and services.

    1. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interstate commerce tariff's are unconstitutional.

    2. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by omnichad · · Score: 1

      All states with trade deficit to CA should impose 50% tariff to all CA products and services.

      They would need the federal government to do that - as that constitutes interstate commerce.

    3. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by reboot246 · · Score: 0

      That's exactly what taxing internet sales are - tariffs between states. SCOTUS got it wrong.

      https://www.redstate.com/setonmotley/2018/06/25/taxation-wo-representation.-interstate-commerce-usurpation.-murdered-federalism.-internet-sales-tax

      https://thefederalist.com/2018/06/25/online-sales-tax-decision-supreme-court-completes-inversion-commerce-clause/

    4. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by whoever57 · · Score: 1

      The Feds cannot do that:

      Article I, Section 9, Clause 5:

              No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    5. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by omnichad · · Score: 1

      They can certainly pass a constitutional amendment, with enough effort. The states can't.

    6. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Frank+Burly · · Score: 1

      I think a "sales tax" that only applied on the sale of out of state goods would be effectively a tariff and violate the ICC (unless *maybe* the item was alcohol). The SCOTUS ruling doesn't allow that that and the sites you linked to claiming otherwise are run and frequented by . . .common clay of the new west.

    7. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They can certainly pass a constitutional amendment, with enough effort. The states can't.

      Actually, states can pass Constitutional Amendments. Article V Conventions are a real thing.

    8. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that all amendments must be ratified by the states.

    9. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If we want to look at this and use Wickard v. Filburn as precedent for what counts as interstate commerce (every activity) then states have no power to regulate any activity that has economic function.

    10. Re:California: I go green you go bankrupt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes the states can, Constitutional Convention.

  6. 2245! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    2245 or 2045, no big difference.

  7. States = Incubators for testing stuff by Scroatzilla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In terms of states' rights and energy independence and the environment, this is a good thing. Whether or not this works out, we will learn a lot about the feasibility of eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels from California's effort; other states could then model their own clean energy programs based on the positives and negatives of California's experiment.

    (I'm not sure what the anti-Trump rhetoric adds to the article summary other than virtual signaling... ??)

    1. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by omnichad · · Score: 1

      I don't think their success would prove it's feasible for all the states. I am thinking it only works because the other states are not competing to purchase solar/wind/hydro too heavily while they have access to coal/natural gas. Otherwise the price of clean energy would go much higher. It's still a good goal if they're willing to do it.

    2. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 1

      In terms of states' rights and energy independence and the environment, this is a good thing. Whether or not this works out, we will learn a lot about the feasibility of eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels from California's effort; other states could then model their own clean energy programs based on the positives and negatives of California's experiment.

      (I'm not sure what the anti-Trump rhetoric adds to the article summary other than virtual signaling... ??)

      This isn't going to work out. California will simply be importing power from states where fossil fuels are used, suffering blackouts and paying a LOT more for power.

      Electrical power grids require that the energy going in must be exactly the energy being used at every instant. To be safe, one must provide an "operating margin" that can handle the loss of generation capacity and power any variations in load. Grid managers must maintain this balance, by planning generation capacity hours in advance of actual need. The problem with "Green" energy (solar and wind) is that you may be able to forecast what will be available, but you cannot manage when you are going to get it. The sun shines and the wind blows when it wants to, but that may or may not match when you need the power to keep the grid stable. That forces you to shift power in time using storage, and storage is expensive.

      I just don't see how California will be able to generate enough electricity at the right times to make this work without getting *really* expensive. They may have enough "green" capacity, but that doesn't fix the peak load on a calm or cloudy day or provide a place to put the excess on the sunny days with the Santa Anna winds howling. One can only store so much energy.

      IF they are serious about this, I'd recommend one invest in fossil fueled plants in surrounding states and transmission lines into California. They will be dying to buy power at any price, from any source eventually.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    3. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by whoever57 · · Score: 1

      The thing about California power demand is that it is typically higher when the sun is shining. In other words, supply and demand tend towards a natural balance.

      Yes, some storage will be necessary, in combination with things like hydro power, which provides on-demand green energy.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    4. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by mspohr · · Score: 1

      Batteries.
      Several large ones already installed in California... and other places. Very cost effective.
      Importing fossil fuel electricity is not an option... not permitted.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    5. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Storing energy is only one strategy to get renewable energy production to match load.

      Here are some additional strategies:
      -Like with fossil fuels, have some excess generation capacity. This can either be stored, not used, or exported. (E.g., wind turbines feathered, disable PV inverters, not generate hydro, etc.)
      -Use dynamic electricity pricing to encourage changing behavior to match generation (e.g., EV charging during advantageous times)
      -Accept less efficient energy storage methods into the mix of energy storage (e.g., hydrogen production, synthetic fuel production, compressed air, etc.)
      -Add dispatchable renewable energy sources. E.g., there can be flexibility in hydro generation. The same is true with molten salt solar. (The sun heats up the molten salt--this also stores thermal energy can then be used to generate energy through a turbine when desired).
      -Increase energy efficiency. Energy conservation is often referred to as the greenest renewable. It also tends to be the cheapest and makes any renewable energy plan easier.

      As with many things, the solution may not be trivial. However, I believe that with a bit of sustained political will, it is more than possible. In addition, to being the right thing to do for the environment, it will be a boon for jobs, a boon for the economy (not wasting wasting money to burn it on fuel), a boon for the technology sector (through promoting innovation), and is good PR for the state.

    6. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Baloroth · · Score: 1, Insightful

      California has little snow, relatively few clouds (or inclement weather of any kind, for that matter), massive amounts of hydropower, and very little manufacturing or other heavy industry (which is power intensive). It's basically an ideal environment for 100% renewable energy usage, which is not true for 90% or so of the US. In the Midwest, for example, there's little hydro, and solar barely works at all in the winter when you need power or you'll freeze to death. The Southwest has at least good solar potential, but AC usage tends to be very high, and solar is pretty terrible at baseline power (in fact, aside from hydro there isn't really a solid renewable baseline power source. Nuclear *would* work, but it's not technically renewable, and environmentalists usually hate it because they don't understand how radioactivity works).

      --
      "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
    7. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 1

      The hell batteries are not expensive. And how you keep California on the nation's power grid, but regulate how the power you receive from it is generated is beyond me. Sure, you can *claim* it's green energy, but is it really when that coal plant in MO is pumping out power into the same grid? I'd call it load shifting to fossil fuels by "proxy" if nothing else. So let's say California wants to go it alone...

      Industrial level power storage is HUGELY expensive and dangerous operations. We are talking about having to store HUGE amounts of power to shift the peak load by only the few hours between noon (when solar is at it's peak) and 5 PM when use usually peaks. In Texas, where I have data available, we'd need to store be able to store and produce power at about 10,000 Megawatt peak rate, and store about 5 hours worth of power, or 50,000 Megawatt hours, to smooth out the peak. 50,000 Megawatt hours is a LOT of energy and 10,000 Megawatt rates is pretty fast. That would allow the flattening of the demand curve to better match solar supplies, using wind and nuclear for base load would help, but again, wind is something you forecast, but cannot schedule as you want..

      The above assumes 100% storage efficiency, which is no way near realistic. I'd say that pumped energy storage is likely the most cost effective, but it's only 70 - 80 % efficient. Batteries, when new, are about 90%, but that means that to get 50,000 Megawatt hours out, you are going to consume some 56,000 Megawatt hours to charge it, but batteries are very expensive, wear out over time and are environmentally a mess to make and recycle. No to mention kind of dangerous when they decide to discharge themselves. Then there is all the solar and wind power infrastructure they will need to build to cover demand AND for charging all those storage devices. That's going to be pricey too.

      Personally, I think California is crazy to unilaterally decide to just pay a lot more for less reliable power. It's going to further hobble their state's industry, drive prices higher and residents to other places. This will further degrade the state's financial condition and add to their woes. Plus, it's dubious at best if they will achieve C02 reductions overall, having to build such expensive infrastructure at who knows what actual environmental cost. But they are free to make a mess of their state if they insist.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    8. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by mspohr · · Score: 2

      First, California has its own grid so it's easy to keep out fossil fuel electricity.
      Batteries are proven. Australia is a good example.
      (Lithium batteries are very easy to recycle into safe non-toxic components and even new batteries.)
      There is also geothermal, hydro and pumped storage which can easily be controlled to fill in gaps.
      Renewable electricity is cheaper than fossil fuel electricity (the "fuel" for renewables is free) and it just keeps getting cheaper. States which rely on fossil fuel electricity will be at a high cost disadvantage.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    9. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 1

      You do realize that Hydro requires water and right now that's in very short supply out west...

      Also your "some storage" is in the range of 50,000 Megawatt hours or more, just to even out the solar peak at noon to the usage peak at 5 PM (based on today's usage curve in Texas on an average summer day). This is HUGE amounts of power to store, which currently is made up by fossil fueled power generators and sucking power from the grid from places outside the state.

      ONE Tesla Power Wall 2 stores 13 Kwh and costs $6k. To store 50,000 Mwh you will be needing about 3.8 million of these things running a list price of about $22.8 Billion. I have a feeling Tesla would love to have the order, but I doubt they will be able to make 3.8 million of these things in the time allowed.

      Batteries are way too expensive here. Pumped storage is better priced, but like hydro, requires water and while not as expensive to build, is a bit less efficient. Just firing up the Natural Gas plant would be a LOT cheaper, but hey, they said they don't want to do that.

      I think this is a very bad idea for California. But hey, if they want to...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    10. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Huge_UID · · Score: 2

      very little manufacturing or other heavy industry

      Why do people keep saying this? Articles from 2015:

      https://www.cmtc.com/blog/how-...

      Although California has lost close to 40 percent (842,180) of its manufacturing jobs between 1990 and 2012, it still holds the largest manufacturing market share of any other state. California controls 11.4 percent of the nation's manufacturing output. Texas produces 10 percent, followed far behind by Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

      https://www.epi.org/publicatio...

      The top 10 states ranked by total manufacturing employment in 2013 are California (1,251,400 jobs), Texas (871,700 jobs), Ohio (662,100 jobs), Illinois (579,600 jobs), Pennsylvania (563,500 jobs), Michigan (555,300 jobs), Indiana (491,900 jobs), Wisconsin (458,400 jobs), New York (455,100 jobs), and North Carolina (442,500 jobs).

    11. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      Electric bills for Californians will go high enough that those who own their own properties will buy their own generators. There might even be a market for a loophole: natural gas generators hooked up to your main gas line. Instead of one centralized ng power plant how about a couple million?

    12. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 0, Troll

      How may ways can you be wrong? Let's count!

      First, California has its own grid so it's easy to keep out fossil fuel electricity.

      Their grid isn't isolated from the rest of the country any more than Texas' grid is. We have our own grid too, but we are heavily connected to states on our borders, as well as Mexico. All "having your own grid" means is that you manage your load and generation within an area, but it doesn't mean you are isolated from the rest of the country.

      One wrong

      Batteries are proven. Australia is a good example.

      Oh yea for load capacity pick up over having rotating capacity online in diverse locations. This has more to do with the economies of shipping fuels over the distances involved than green energy or peak offset. It's a safety device for grid stability because it's not practical to run fossil fueled capacity in some places. So you are not exactly wrong, just not aware of the actual reason they are using it.

      (Lithium batteries are very easy to recycle into safe non-toxic components and even new batteries.)

      The issue is refining of the lithium from natural sources. It is usually refined using electrolysis at a high temperature, much like aluminum and consumes a large amount of power. Recycling it is similar energy consumption. They may be safe and non-toxic materials, but they are expensive if you consider the CO2 emissions of production. So No, two wrong

      There is also geothermal, hydro and pumped storage which can easily be controlled to fill in gaps.

      Geothermal plants are the only option here for California, but they are huge investments and very subject to causing earthquakes. California is not an ideal place for geothermal, but it is at least possible there. Hydro doesn't exist in California as they are very short on water, same with pumped storage. The facilities don't exist for this and depend on a ready source of water, which just isn't there. So, one kind of right, two wrong in that statement.

      Renewable electricity is cheaper than fossil fuel electricity (the "fuel" for renewables is free) and it just keeps getting cheaper. States which rely on fossil fuel electricity will be at a high cost disadvantage.

      With the possible exception of geothermal under ideal conditions, other renewable forms of energy are NOT cheaper than fossil fuels. Apart from geothermal, The absolute cheapest form of power generation over the full life cycle of the plant is natural gas. And this INCLUDES all fuel costs, the cost to build and decommission the plant. Renewables are MORE expensive, total cost, even though the "fuel" is free. So your statement is wrong again.

      So by my count you had two facts right, one misleading and five incorrect.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    13. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      Batteries are proven. Australia is a good example.

      The population of the entire country/continent of Australia is less than 2/3rds the population of California. A lot more space per person for green energy.

    14. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Removing energy from the system isn't free. Having a bunch of wind turbines removes wind energy. That wind now blows less where it was going potentially changing weather patterns, migration of seeds and other things. Not to mention the birds and insects that die when they hit the turbines. There is environmental consequences to your "free" energy. Solar panels remove energy as well. Energy that would get absorbed as heat in to the ground. Energy that helps create wind. Energy that may have helped plants grow where you now have fields of solar panels. Again, there is trade off. The "free" energy source transfers energy from mother nature to man. It may be less consequential than fossil fuels, it may not. We really don't know. All we do know is that today's environmentalists are ready to jump right in without fully understanding the hidden costs.

    15. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by mspohr · · Score: 1

      The fossil fuel industry put out a hit piece a week ago saying tha California didn't have enough land for renewables. (Published in the LA Times which as usual, didn't do any real journalism, just printed the hit piece.) The usual garbage stats. Quickly debunked.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    16. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Geothermal plants are the only option here for California, but they are huge investments and very subject to causing earthquakes. California is not an ideal place for geothermal, but it is at least possible there. Hydro doesn't exist in California as they are very short on water, same with pumped storage. The facilities don't exist for this and depend on a ready source of water, which just isn't there. So, one kind of right, two wrong in that statement.

      Renewable electricity is cheaper than fossil fuel electricity (the "fuel" for renewables is free) and it just keeps getting cheaper. States which rely on fossil fuel electricity will be at a high cost disadvantage.

      With the possible exception of geothermal under ideal conditions, other renewable forms of energy are NOT cheaper than fossil fuels. Apart from geothermal, The absolute cheapest form of power generation over the full life cycle of the plant is natural gas. And this INCLUDES all fuel costs, the cost to build and decommission the plant. Renewables are MORE expensive, total cost, even though the "fuel" is free. So your statement is wrong again.

      So by my count you had two facts right, one misleading and five incorrect.

      .... Say, whu? The Geysers is the world's largest geothermal field, containing a complex of 22 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains approximately 72 miles north of San Francisco, California. Wikipedia

    17. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      The good news is that Tesla also makes higher capacity grid-scale energy storage products than the PowerWall.

      Yes, that install isn't on the scale of what you say is needed (don't know the math) but it seems to be doing pretty damn good for the Aussies - good enough that Southern California Edison wants one too.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    18. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by MachineShedFred · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In your cost of fossil fuels, please consider the externalized cost of waste product disposal into the lungs of those downwind, and the cost of deleting entire mountains in the Appalachians so we can load them into furnaces, and the costs of doing all that (slurry ponds, destroyed ecosystems, etc.)

      The grid operators may see what goes up the stack as zero cost, but there is definitely a cost to society in elevated asthma rates, lung disease, increased chances of low and very-low birth weights, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and death. It's estimated that coal contributes in up to 50,000 deaths every year in the US alone - more than all the deaths from car wrecks in the US in a year.

      Let's factor that into the fossil fuel energy costs, completely disregarding sea level rise and how much that's going to cost in lost real estate and property, as well as increased severity and frequency of storms from climate change because some people still argue about if those are real things.

      I think we can all agree that breathing coal-fired particulate and sulfur dioxide is bad for you, and anyone 30+ miles downwind from each and every coal plant is doing exactly that.

      What does that fossil fuel energy cost now?

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    19. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Energy that may have helped plants grow where you now have fields of solar panels

      What.
      A.
      Load.
      Of.
      Horseshit.

      Yeah, that field of solar panels is definitely worse than all the fucking asphalt parking lots that are god damn everywhere and also prevent plants from growing. Yet I'll bet you don't complain if someone was to build more parking somewhere you frequent.

      That might be the single stupidest point of FUD I've ever seen about solar. Congratulations!

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    20. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Nuclear *would* work, but it's not technically renewable, and environmentalists usually hate it because they don't understand how radioactivity works).

      Calling anti-nuclear extremists "environmentalists" is undeserved. Conservationists, climate scientists, and informed environmentalists all support nuclear, as a proven effective tool for reducing emissions, and which use only a bit of land and raw materials. It objectively has the least cost to the environment of any scalable energy source. "Renewable" is just a brand, and not synonymous with "clean energy"; it both includes and excludes sources it shouldn't, if the pursuit is sustainable clean energy with minimal environmental impact.

    21. Re: States = Incubators for testing stuff by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      It all depends on improved battery technology. If that happens, then California will be able to reach their goal.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    22. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by jezwel · · Score: 1

      Micro-scale desalinators would be a good sink for excess electricity, with output to your dams where you have hydro for stored capacity in case of increase requirements.

    23. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong, in many places, even ignoring external costs.
      See https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2018/01/23/cheap-renewables-keep-pushing-fossil-fuels-further-away-from-profitability-despite-trumps-efforts/#75aa916b6ce9 and many others.

    24. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      I'm with you until "massive amounts of hydropower". Only 16% California's power is hydro, which is very small compared to Oregon's 40% or Norway's 95%. On the other hand, coal and gas makes up 38%. Unless you're planning to turn central valley into a huge reservoir, hydro isn't going to cut it.

    25. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Citation? "Hit piece" probably being unwelcome facts, as typically demoted by abusive moderators. Renewables, and PV solar in particular, use an enormous amount of materials in addition to vast areas of land, for a relatively small amount of power. That isn't debatable, just look it up. Listening to the advocates, you would think they are made of rainbows, and exclusively placed over worthless empty land. In reality, people are mowing down forests to place PV, and even deserts aren't as empty as they look from orbit.

    26. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by blindseer · · Score: 1

      Unless you're planning to turn central valley into a huge reservoir, hydro isn't going to cut it.

      You mean put Sacramento under several hundred feet of water? Tell me more.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    27. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jesus. Anti-trump rhetoric? You have no honesty and no shame. You are vile. Trump himself parades his efforts mentioned in the summary. When the guy himself megaphones his efforts every chance he gets then there is no honest way to deride others for pointing out the same. You have no honesty and no shame. You are vile.

    28. Re: States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 0

      It all depends on improved battery technology. If that happens, then California will be able to reach their goal.

      Yet the law makers in this crazy state are wiling to bet their state's financial future on a "it depends"?

      My point is that this will be a serious blow to the state's economy which is already in decline. It will hit everyone with higher prices on nearly everything, and I do mean everyone. The rich (who can afford it), The middle class (Who will be pushed closer to poverty), AND the poor (who cannot afford it). As the cost of living goes up and the standard of living declines, folks will be encouraged to depart California, taking their economic activity with them, driving an already shaky state finance situation into further trouble.

      But if California wants to do this to themselves, so be it. I don't have a dog in the hunt or a vote in the state.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    29. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 0

      So, do you have some kind of cost estimate per ton of CO2 released? Because all this data you cite is alarmist BS unless you have actual cost numbers.

      I once debated the environmentalists over a nuclear power plant, way back in the 80's. They where making all sots of unsubstantiated claims of deaths due to radiation releases from the plant because they DO release radiation. They had convinced themselves that the nuclear plant would cause deaths from increased cancer rates, and had death rate estimates to boot. The fly in the ointment for them was that the other means of producing electricity was coal, but they didn't have clue about the actual process of burning coal, nor did they know that crushing coal released a LOT of radiation, liberating radon gas from the coal. The amount of radiation from coal burring was orders of magnitude more than ANY nuclear plant, but they didn't let facts dissuade them from a good PR argument.

      So, I call BS on your PR campaign. Estimates are not facts, they are opinions. Where I do not doubt the earth is getting warmer, I do doubt the degree to which it is under man's control or due to our burning fossil fuels. Remember, correlation does not imply causation, just because CO2 is rising and the earth is getting warmer, does not mean CO2 caused the warm up. Not to mention that the Coal particulate and Sulfur Dioxide issue has been largely abated with stack scrubbers and technology which is already in wide spread use. Acid rain? We sort of solved that issue back in the 1970's, that's from sulfur dioxide. Particulate pollution has also been cleaned up from coal burning using filters. You are bleating about stuff that looks scary from a PR perspective, but isn't a problem in reality.

      So reduce it to dollars in some measureable actual cost or we cannot discuss this rationally in terms of financial costs. As you are the one making the claim, I leave it to you to itemize the actual costs and quantify them with observable and provable data. As it stands, the cheapest industrial method for power generation is geothermal (but under ideal conditions which are not universally available) followed by Natural Gas. The most expensive is photovoltaic solar. Wind is between solar and coal on the high end. Nuclear is about midrange, but we haven't built any nuclear capacity in decades because NG is so cheap.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    30. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by bobbied · · Score: 1

      The Aussies use this for grid stability, not for peak shifting.

      The Aussies use fossil fuels for their primary supply of power. Fossil fueled plants are best operated where the transportation logistics are cheaper, which drives their power plants to the coasts. With population centers away from the coasts, storage allows them to run without having to maintain generation capacity in places where transportation of fuel is expensive and deal with supply disruptions that might take their grid down otherwise.

      So think of this as more of an industrial sized UPS, big enough to provide make up power and keep the grid stable during temporary losses of supply. It's there to give them time to throttle up their online generation capacity when something goes wrong.

      So this isn't really load shifting green energy capacity in the land down under, it's about grid stability.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    31. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yet those renewables depend on those very same fossil fuels to provide energy when they aren't available, which is most of the time. Not only will they need to keep subsidizing "cheap" renewables, fossil plants will also need to be subsidized to keep them around with the turbines spinning, ready to fill the gaps in intermittent power. At least that can be accounted for in a different column though, right?

      What appears on your bill however, is the combination of both, as both are critical to providing reliable electricity; it will soon become self-evident that "cheap" is a lie. Fossil fuels are not being replaced--they are being locked in, with their value guaranteed and inflated.

    32. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot to add in coginitive decline among the costs of air pollution.

      http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/08/21/1809474115

    33. Re:States = Incubators for testing stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Charging and discharging li-ion is about 99% efficient both ways. The inverters are about 96% efficient. If batteries aren't cheap enough yet, wait a year, they're getting 10% cheaper every year and they're about to no longer need any rare earth minerals next year.

  8. State's electricity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Import all electricity from Nevada. Problem solved.

    1. Re:State's electricity by bobbied · · Score: 0

      Import all electricity from Nevada. Problem solved.

      Which is exactly what will happen here. Invest in power generators from surrounding states if they are serious about this. They will be making money hand over fist burring fossil fuels for California. Why? Because it's cheaper than all the other options.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  9. When their alternate energy has blackouts by pgmrdlm · · Score: 1

    Due to rain, volcano's(smoke), forest fires, or any other event that disrupts their alternate energy source. Doubt they can use water, they don't have enough for their citizens. Then can always count on the red states to supply them at a premium.

    --
    Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
    1. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They can always do what Germany does in Europe: grandstand about renewables and use imports from other countries to keep the grid stable.

    2. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by imgod2u · · Score: 1

      I'm curious why you think renewables are more susceptible to blackouts than say, a large natural gas or coal plant...

      If Tesla's battery in Australia demonstrates anything, it's that batteries + solar is far more versatile and reliable compared to a burner.

    3. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Grid battery storage and pumped hydro will have come a long way by then. Too early to say.

    4. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by pgmrdlm · · Score: 1

      lol, pretty much where I was going with that.

      --
      Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
    5. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More versatile for startup times. Reliability on Tesla batteries has little industrial data to make that claim. Perhaps someday. Renewables have capacity factor problems of course. Sun and wind don't cooperate when needed. Natural gas combined cycle plants and gas turbines have much higher reliability and capacity factors today and are more flexible to meet demand. Sure storage + renewables may work some day. But it has not proven itself on a large scale yet. By 2045 maybe.

      Cali may do what they please of course. But it will not be cheap - expect to pay 2-3 times - that's a hefty tax on the poor. The stranded asset owners will likely force them into arbitration to recover costs which will come out of the taxpayers wallet. A state that is already in trouble financially is going to have to make difficult choices ahead when unfunded mandates for 2045 are being planned.

    6. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What water will they use for pumped hydro? They're already struggling to meet water demand for agriculture and human needs. Add to that saving salmon.

      This is all ideological grandstanding with little thought to practicality. The cost of living in California is already atrocious. This will just make it even worse. Good intentions that completely ignore reality. It's the liberal hallmark.

    7. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then can always count on the red states to supply them at a premium.

      No, absolutely not!

      We won't pollute California with dirty fossil-fuel energy! We must respect their decision!

      Let them choke on the new smog problem they'll create for themselves when people start using gasoline/diesel generators and burning wood when the costs get too high and the blackouts spread.

    8. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by toadlife · · Score: 1

      They're already struggling to meet water demand for agriculture and human needs.

      Ag takes up 90% of developed water in CA while making up less than 2% of California's economy.

      Apple takes in more revenue every quarter than the entire California Ag industry takes in in a year.

      What will happen is Ag will lose some of their water allocations because, economically, they are not important enough to the state.

      --
      I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
    9. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There will be huge numbers of batteries available from old or wrecked EVs - not suitable for putting in new cars, but very cheap and fine for use on the grid. Should make PV-battery based grid far more economic.

    10. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The cost of living is a feature, it keeps the flyover Retardistanis away.
      Just to the east there is this large body of water called the Pacific Ocean, they could use some of that for pumped storage

    11. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by hoofie · · Score: 0

      The Tesla battery in South Australia is there to cover demand gaps. South Australia gets a lot of electricity through a connector from Victoria. When that connector failed the entire state was blacked out as the State Government had chucked all it's eggs in the wind basket.

      One of the problems we have here in Australia is Governments are jumping on board the renewables bandwagon for votes but ignoring the requirement for reliable base-load infrastructure which is still basically coal or gas fired stations. [No Nuclear in Oz].

      We have a looming crunch coming where secure of supply for electricity is going to be a major issue especially in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Tasmania was royally shafted when it's DC connector across the Tasman failed and they had to bring in hundreds of large generators to supply power.

      Western Australia is more secure due to historical reasons - it's isolation means that we do not import power from other states and the network is split into two disparate systems.

    12. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by hoofie · · Score: 1

      Sorry don't know why it posted as AC. I mean to add that the finances around the whole Tesla battery are murky and I would not be surprised if the eventual cost turns out to be very high - not to mention that these batteries have a finite life which is much, much less than a traditional power plant.

    13. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      From a strict economical perspective, that might be the case.

      However, Californians, and Americans in general, still have to eat.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    14. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by MachineShedFred · · Score: 0

      First, the Pacific is to the west of California. Look at a map every once in a while.

      Second, running salt water through equipment is a great idea if you want that equipment to prematurely fail, or have vastly increased maintenance costs. You may have noticed that salt tends to corrode things.

      Maybe the next time you're being anonymously smug, you should try to be less of an idiot.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    15. Re: When their alternate energy has blackouts by toadlife · · Score: 1

      Nobody would go hungry if CA was forced to cut Ag production. California grows a very high percentage of certain foods, but a relatively low percentage of the all of the food. The crops California dominates in are not staple foods like corn and wheat, but food items that are less essential, like garlic, almonds and artichokes. Everything that is currently produced in CA can and would be produced elsewhere if a hole opened up in the market due to a cut in production in CA.

      --
      I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
    16. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by blindseer · · Score: 0

      Ag takes up 90% of developed water in CA while making up less than 2% of California's economy.

      Right! Dammit, those farmers are just taking all that water and wasting it... on food.

      We need to cut off this waste. Because it's not like people can't just get their fruits and vegetables from somewhere else. And those people in other places need to stop wasting water on food too. NO MORE IRRIGATION!

      What will happen is Ag will lose some of their water allocations because, economically, they are not important enough to the state.

      Seriously, have you thought this through? If you drive out agriculture then you drive out the people that grow your food. These plans to "save the planet" seem to have no consideration on the impact that will have on the suffering it can impose on real and actual people.

      You can drive out technology companies from California and they'll do fine somewhere else. If you drive out the people that grow food they can't just go out to some salt flats and grow apples there.

      These idiots that want to "save the planet" don't seem to think much of saving the people from starvation.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    17. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What will happen is Ag will lose some of their water allocations because, economically, they are not important enough to the state.

      Seriously, have you thought this through? If you drive out agriculture then you drive out the people that grow your food.

      That's fine, do you know how few people that is?

      Remember, you have a history of complaining about people trying to live in a desert, well, now you have the problem of defending your precious farmers who are using up hundreds of thousand square miles of land for little value, as well as a majority of the water supply.

      Yet apparently they produce almost nothing of value. Maybe they aren't necessary to support. Just think of all the billions in subsidies farmers get.

      Why don't we stop that? You do hate subsidies don't you?

    18. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by blindseer · · Score: 1

      Why don't we stop that? You do hate subsidies don't you?

      I do hate subsidies. Had we stopped subsidizing wind and solar so much we'd have a level playing field on the energy markets and we'd be seeing investments in energy that can keep the lights on without being a drain on the economy. We'd also likely see California invest in water desalination plants so they wouldn't have this self imposed water shortage.

      There's lots of far drier places in the world that seem to be able to turn a desert into farmland. It boggles the mind that California can't do this as well. I don't care how few people are farming this land, or how much effect it has on the economy. Denying them water and driving them out will solve nothing. California is being run into the ground by state and local governments incapable of providing basic services such as keeping people from shitting in the streets. The California government will hand out heroin needles but deny you a drinking straw.

      Go ahead, end those subsidies. Then see how well that wind and solar power works for you. Japan tried doing without nuclear power and they got wise to that real quick. You can't get clean air and cheap energy without nuclear power. California isn't an island like Japan and so they can survive under this delusion of a nuclear free society for a while with imported energy. That will not go well in the long run.

      That which cannot continue will not continue. California is on a path that cannot continue. They can find a new path now and prevent far greater damage, or keep going until something simply breaks and it all comes down around their ears.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    19. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm curious why you think renewables are more susceptible to blackouts than say, a large natural gas or coal plant...

      Maybe it's because California has so much solar power and a tendency for power outages. It's quite possible the power outages are due more to mismanagement by local and state governments than to their use of renewable energy but the correlation is there even if there is no causation.

      If Tesla's battery in Australia demonstrates anything, it's that batteries + solar is far more versatile and reliable compared to a burner.

      Then what happens if you put the batteries with the "burners"? There's nothing that prevents batteries from being used with natural gas, nuclear, coal, or whatever. As shown in Australia those batteries performed well in dealing with an unplanned outage of a large coal plant. It's quite apparent that solar power produces nothing at night. Even if there's wind to go with the sun and batteries there's still going to be times when there's no sun and wind. Put in a coal or nuclear plant in there and those batteries will not have to near as large or be stressed as hard.

    20. Re:When their alternate energy has blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There will be huge numbers of batteries available from old or wrecked EVs - not suitable for putting in new cars, but very cheap and fine for use on the grid. Should make PV-battery based grid far more economic.

      If we put those batteries with nuclear power then nuclear would be far more economic. The thing is though that nuclear is half the price of solar. Nuclear doesn't load follow well, so use the batteries for that.

      Cleaner than solar, more reliable, and still half the price. What's not to like?

  10. That's almost enough time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    to build a nuclear plant.

    1. Re:That's almost enough time by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      to build a nuclear plant.

      Is it also enough time to make it price competitive without subsidies?

    2. Re:That's almost enough time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nuclear is already competitive in the absence of (renewable) subsidies. No, it can't compete when renewables are mandated and so heavily subsidized that they can pay utilities to take their (often worthless) energy and still make money. Californians will learn that the subsidies don't scale, and become reliant on imported dirty energy.

    3. Re:That's almost enough time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      France and Sweden decarbonized electricity completely in less time. Nuclear, and hydro where available, produce results fast, even if individual projects are time consuming. If you are satisfied with promises and clowns like the parent, move to California.

    4. Re:That's almost enough time by blindseer · · Score: 1

      I did see this article linked from a popular technology blog about Bill Gates wanting to bring a new molten salt fast neutron reactor to market by 2030. I believe the website was called "Slashdot", perhaps you've heard of it?

      The claim is that the reactor will use a high temperature molten salt for heat transfer and storage. That way it can use efficient Brayton cycle turbines, follow changing loads, and not need water cooling. It's the same technology they use for solar thermal energy storage, so it must be working. If this molten salt thermal technology doesn't work then all those claims of cheap solar thermal is just a bunch of bullshit.

      So, which is it? Will this next generation molten salt storage work or not? If it does then we have nuclear power cheap enough to compete without subsidies. If it doesn't then there's no future in competitive solar without subsidies either.

      I'm thinking that if we can get cheap solar by 2045 then we can have cheap nuclear by 2045.

      But then this is all bullshit from politicians anyway. If the promise is beyond their existing term in office then it's a promise written in sand.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  11. I'll freeze in the winter by TomR+teh+Pirate · · Score: 1

    with my gas furnace...

    And what of my gas stove?

    I sure hope this only applies to new construction and not existing homes

    1. Re:I'll freeze in the winter by olsmeister · · Score: 1

      Surely you have a fireplace?

    2. Re:I'll freeze in the winter by imidan · · Score: 1

      The bill is about moving to renewables for electrical generation, not for heating your home and your soup. At this time, I don't believe that gas furnaces, water heaters, and cooking appliances contribute a significant proportion of carbon emissions in the US.

    3. Re:I'll freeze in the winter by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      Be glad. In the Netherlands a similar bill was just passed, and that one did include banning gas for heating and cooking, and includes existing buildings. All to be gas-free by 2030. For existing home, the cost of installing a heat pump and induction hob, beefing up insulation, replacing radiators and installing floor heating where needed, is estimated at 30k - 40k euro per household. Of course no one wants to touch the question of who is going to pay for all that.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  12. The sun always shines in California by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Except at night. Without a massive bank of batteries, what are we supposed to do for electricity after dark? Solar is obviously useless, and the winds reduce after sundown in most places. With no new nuke plants in the foreseeable future, and Diablo Canyon the only surviving facility, how exactly do we keep the lights on around here without fossil fuels or having to pay a metric shit ton for a huge pile of batteries? Our power rates are already sky high, and we've been burned badly by the San Onofre fiasco. Who wants to pay MORE for equipment to replace something that already works?

    1. Re:The sun always shines in California by olsmeister · · Score: 1

      Power your house off of your Tesla, of course.

    2. Re:The sun always shines in California by vtcodger · · Score: 2

      Keep the lights on? How 19th century. In California 2046 all humans will sleep 10-14 hours a night like God intended when she failed to give us multiple suns.

      --
      You can't see ANYTHING from a car, You've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk...Edward Abbey
    3. Re:The sun always shines in California by presidenteloco · · Score: 2

      Regarding paying:
      Because of people and leadership that did not take action on this 40 years ago when the need was known, you're probably going to be paying a lot more for drought-ravaged food, water, and for fire damage year over year. Just lump it into a massive carbon fee and be done with it.

      --

      Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
    4. Re:The sun always shines in California by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      EVs will be wrecked and/or get old. And their batteries will still have a lot of useful life in them- they will be recycled into cheap grid battery storage, perhaps in homes.

    5. Re:The sun always shines in California by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Given the state of grid scale batteries today, what do you think they will be like in 2046?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:The sun always shines in California by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      Without a massive bank of batteries, what are we supposed to do for electricity after dark?

      If only you had proposed a solution in your question.....

      (one of several solutions, btw. Which will probably result in a "all of the above" implementation)

    7. Re: The sun always shines in California by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      By then I expect they will be depleted and need replacement.

    8. Re:The sun always shines in California by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except at night. Without a massive bank of batteries, what are we supposed to do for electricity after dark?

      Put your gas guzzler on a conveyer belt and use it to generate electricity.

      With no new nuke plants in the foreseeable future, and Diablo Canyon the only surviving facility, how exactly do we keep the lights on around here without fossil fuels or having to pay a metric shit ton for a huge pile of batteries?

      I assume the solution is keep raising price of energy until utilization is sufficiently reduced to keep up with supply. This is also how housing works in CA.

      Our power rates are already sky high, and we've been burned badly by the San Onofre fiasco. Who wants to pay MORE for equipment to replace something that already works?

      Obviously people who want to pay more are sleeping rate payers who don't bother to vote or work sufficiently hard to build consensus to throw the bums out of office.

      In a way it's fucking hilarious that California is run by hardcore libtards who are sending all of their energy dreaming up policies that disproportionately fuck over the poor. Fucking priceless California logic.

    9. Re:The sun always shines in California by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Expensive and replaced a few times? Grid scale batteries have a set number of years they keep working for. Then someone has to pay a lot to replace them with batteries :)

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    10. Re: The sun always shines in California by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Batteries may still be several orders of magnitude too expensive for storage at grid scale, but that isn't a problem Moore's Law can't solve! The people telling you it doesn't apply are fools! /s

    11. Re:The sun always shines in California by blindseer · · Score: 1

      Given the rate of development of new nuclear power technology I expect by 2046 that grid batteries will be considered an idea best left in the 2030s.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  13. I'm not sure they'll be able to by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    and not because it's technically impossible, but the nationally ruling party has already signaled they're going to block CA on their higher car emissions. I could see them moving against them on this too. After all, CA is so big that where they go the nation follows.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

      Republicans only favor states rights when the states want to do something they agree with that federal government wants to do. When the federal government wants to do something they agree with the states don't want to do (like make pot illegal), they are very much against states rights! Case in point: Gonzales v. Raich

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by omnichad · · Score: 1

      the nationally ruling party has already signaled they're going to block CA on their higher car emissions.

      They can signal all they want. They don't have a constitutional leg to stand on.

    3. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by bob4u2c · · Score: 2

      Let me mad-lib this up for you:

      Party A: Some stereotypical group
      Noun/Verb: Pick any noun or verb you like

      [Party A] only favor states rights when the states want to do something [Party A] agree with that federal government wants to do. When the federal government wants to do something [Party A] agree with the states don't want to do (like make [Noun/Verb] illegal), they are very much against states rights!

    4. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the case of California emissions, that is not the federal government stomping on California's rights. it's the federal government saying that California cannot dictate policy upon other states. States with no representation in California. What was happening is car manufacturers had to make their entire fleets meet California standards, thus making cars more expensive for everyone in every other state. California believes it's big enough and moralistically superior that it can use that size to have its way outside its borders. It's very undemocratic of California to think of itself as more important than the 49 other states and the federal government.

    5. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interstate commerce. California's regulations create a defacto standard that gets implemented in other states if they want it or not.

    6. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Republicans only favor states rights when the states want to do something they agree with that federal government wants to do."

      Sorry, you just described what EITHER of the two main parties (D & R) do; this is not the sole domain of Republicans. Although conservatives (not necessarily Republicans, but also Constitution party, Libertarians, Classic Liberals, and others) absolutely support the Constitution and the rights of states to govern their people with the few exceptions laid out for the Fed.... that is generally NOT the stance of the "left" (so-called "modern liberals", Socialists, Green, most Democrats) at all.

      This energy thing with CA is a perfect example of how it is SUPPOSED to work. Whether you agree with what they are trying to do is irrelevant. They should be able to do it because it is not a power granted to the Fed nor prohibited to the States. It is what allows experimentation, innovation, and better matching of the needs to certain localities.

      No doubt many other States will be watching such an experiment and perhaps do the same thing, or something similar, or something inbetween that meets their citizens' needs. Some will wait to see what happens, some might join early, others later. Some will ignore it completely because they can't handle the cost, or don't have the capital, or don't have enough of the natural resources that might be required (yet).

    7. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by omnichad · · Score: 1

      A de facto standard is just that. That's based more on economies of scale and practical consideration than actual requirements. Although if we get to start treating de facto ISP monopolies as actual monopolies when they carve up regions, then maybe it's not all bad.

    8. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by jeff4747 · · Score: 2

      What was happening is car manufacturers had to make their entire fleets meet California standards

      And there's a lie.

      Car manufacturers had a separate "California Emissions" package that they added to cars sold in California. Much to the dismay of car enthusiasts in California, since it reduced the horsepower and torque of their cars. It also means cars in California are more expensive.

      it's the federal government saying that California cannot dictate policy upon other states. States with no representation in California.

      Hey look! It's another lie.

      No state was forced to follow California's emissions laws. They could get cars that did not have the California emissions package.

      Some states passed laws to follow California's emissions standards, but you'll note that those states passed their own laws to do so. They were not forced to do anything by California.

    9. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by jeff4747 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Sorry, you just described what EITHER of the two main parties (D & R) do; this is not the sole domain of Republicans

      What you missed is only the Republican party has attempted to make an issue out of "States Rights". The point is the hypocrisy. Just like passing a massive unfunded tax cut means you should be laughed at if you complain about the deficit.

    10. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      Fair enough. Both markdavis and bob4u2c have pointed out that this isn't a strictly Republican attribute, and I won't disagree with either of you. I'm not clear why states can't have higher standards than the federal government; California isn't FORCING manufactures to sell anything to other states that don't have California standards, it's just cheaper to make cars that meet the standards in all states. I work on medical devices, and it in same way it is more cost-effective to make a device that meets the standards in all countries instead of just the United States.

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    11. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"What you missed is only the Republican party has attempted to make an issue out of "States Rights". The point is the hypocrisy. Just like passing a massive unfunded tax cut means you should be laughed at if you complain about the deficit."

      That is, indeed, a good point. Neither party really cares about the deficit or debt, ultimately. They just continue to spend like there is no tomorrow. This is a result of a government that is far too large, far too remote, far too powerful, far too corrupt, and has far, far, too many people "dependent" on it- they simply can't do the unpopular things anymore.

      Somehow, regardless of the party, platform, promises, or philosophy, the end results seem to inevitably be: borrow more, spend more.

    12. Re:I'm not sure they'll be able to by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Yeah, fuck those other states and their cleaner air they're getting without the paperwork and legislative detritus!

      God damn California and their regulations making life better outside of California too! How dare they!

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  14. Just one problem by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    Wind and solar energy don't reduce your need for peak capacity from non-renewables at all unless you have some way of storing energy. And yes, water behind a dam is a way of storing energy.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Just one problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, we could always gather up all of the supposedly unemployed millennials and have them blow onto the turbines to make them spin faster.

    2. Re:Just one problem by TomGreenhaw · · Score: 1

      Actually California could use a huge water reservoir that doubles as an energy storage resource. From what I understand, wind and solar are among the cheapest sources of power today.

      --
      Greed is the root of all evil.
    3. Re:Just one problem by blindseer · · Score: 1

      From what I understand, wind and solar are among the cheapest sources of power today.

      Then you understand incorrectly.

      I just saw a US government projection that there will be 20 GW of new natural gas electrical generation built his year. How much wind and solar? Well, there's been installs of solar of as much as 50 GW per year, and 12 GW of wind. Wind and solar are also highly subsidized. Does natural gas get subsidies? I'm sure they do. There's no mistaking though that solar and wind installations depend highly on the rate they get their disproportionate subsidies. If wind and solar were so cheap then why do we keep subsidizing it? If it's so cheap then why haven't they displaced natural gas on new construction?

      Oh, and natural gas doesn't need hydro storage to be viable. That's because fuel is storage. I keep hearing on how wind and sun is "free". Well, natural gas is "free" too. Just like wind and sun that natural gas costs just as much as it takes to collect it. The costs to collect natural gas are quite low and seem to keep going down.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    4. Re:Just one problem by turp182 · · Score: 1

      Molten Salt Solar is a potential answer. And perfect for James Bond movies.

      https://www.scientificamerican...

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
    5. Re:Just one problem by TomGreenhaw · · Score: 1

      Federal subsidies have fallen sharply in the last three years for renewable energy and are still competitive. The low cost of fossil fuel doesn't take into consideration the long term cost of adding gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere.

      Natural gas is important and should remain in use where needed, but not exclusively.

      --
      Greed is the root of all evil.
    6. Re:Just one problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If wind and solar were so cheap then why do we keep subsidizing it?

      To make it faster.

      If it's so cheap then why haven't they displaced natural gas on new construction?

      Certain people have incentives to rip us off with expensive and costly natural gas systems that aren't necessary, but surely enrich themselves.

  15. We are gonna move to your state then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And turn it as blue as your balls motherfuckee.

  16. So disconnect California from the grid? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its the only way to do it. If they are connected to the US grid they are profiting from "unclean" power produced out of state.

    1. Re:So disconnect California from the grid? by fish_in_the_c · · Score: 1

      sounds good to me. I vote for disconnecting them from the internet as well. It is powered by a lot of unclean electricity.

      --
      âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
    2. Re:So disconnect California from the grid? by presidenteloco · · Score: 1

      You just count (A) the motivated electrons generated in the state and being exported,
      and (B) those generated out of state coming in, using, you know, math, and if (A) >= (B), you're good.

      It's slightly more complicated than that, but that's the essence of it.

      That's how Google etc. claim to be running on 100% emissions-free electricity.

      --

      Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
  17. I learned something today by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    Apparently Facebook has figured out how to power a data center just using people's personal information.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  18. Good to know by fred6666 · · Score: 1

    But what's their target for the next 4 years. Or should I say before the next election. Because none of the actual politicians are going to be there in 2045 even if the target is met.

    1. Re:Good to know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you might be surprised at how old some of our politicians are

  19. California is split... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You cannot keep mandating these things, which inevitably raise the cost of housing, while wailing about the current housing crisis.
    Pick one, or the other, or halves on both. Fine, if you want 0% emissions, and solar on all houses: Be ready for massive homelessness. And understand you were responsible.

  20. Re:Failed state by twebb72 · · Score: 2

    California is in a perpetual competition with itself to come up with the most freedom infringing, pointless legislation possible... if it wastes money, achieves nothing, and oppresses people, Moonbeam Brown will get behind it.

    Yet they are the 5th largest economy.

  21. Yep, interstate commerce by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I mean, the feds could pass a bill requiring that people purchase a certain percentage of their electricity from coal or natural gas if they wanted too.

    Part of me wants to say "get right on enacting a constitutional amendment which gives the feds that power" but I know that you're right. There is not a single conceivable human activity which isn't "interstate commerce." Name anything that you think might be a power reserved for the states or the people, and I guarantee you the feds can completely control it in the name of interstate commerce. States have absolutely no power at all, beyond whatever the feds graciously allow them to pretend to have. The 10th amendment means nothing; it is the purest of empty words, having less of an effect on society or your day-to-day life than even the 3rd amendment.

    1. Re:Yep, interstate commerce by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about growing produce on your own property for your own consumption?

      Oh wait, shit, that's exactly the case in Wickard v. Filburn.

  22. Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is too bad the forest managment in california is so bad that the state burns up and pollutes the entire rest of the nation.

    In a few weeks the particulate and CO2 emissions from the fires on their poorly maintained land have surpassed most of their climate change prevention efforts. And they have killed the air quality for people across the nation.

    Seems they could start even easier by managing their forests instead of bowing to the clueless environmentalists.

    1. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Implying that the State of California is somehow directly responsible for wildfires

      Go take your meds and get off the Internet, you mogoloid.

    2. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure you're one of the right-wing retards who once posted on /. that CO2 emissions could not affect the climate, but now suddenly you change your tune because you can someone blame liberals for it.

      So go fuck yourself, trumptard. Better yet: Go fuck an underaged girl, because "if the president does it, then it's not illegal", right ?

    3. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "if the president does it, then it's not illegal"

      Let's ask Bill Clinton. He seemed to love taking the lolita express to Jeffrey Epstein's private island.

    4. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by presidenteloco · · Score: 1

      Global warming due to CO2 emissions is a major causal factor in the excess fires.

      Should have listened to the environmentalists 40 years ago when they started warning about this, instead of going with the log it, burn it, pave it crew.

      --

      Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
    5. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Forest management can play a significant role in the severity and spread of the fires. Clearing of dead wood, pest control (beetles that kill entire forests), pre-emptive burns and more can all reduce the impact on wild fires.

    6. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So did Trump, asshole. Or did you conveniently "forget" to mention that part ? Wouldn't surprise me. You right-wingers are notorious for trying to erase the parts of history that you don't like.

    7. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Refusing to do regular maintenance burns, or to allow them to occur naturally, is the major causal factor in the excess fires.

      Well, that plus arsonists - all the climate control in the world won't prevent a guy with a match from starting a fire.

    8. Re:Won't make up for wildfires by MattBear · · Score: 1

      There are multiple major factors: 1. The primary cause: Ending forest management and trying to return it to an semi "virgin" state. - Ending controlled and managed logging which removed dead, diseased and otherwise unhealthy trees. - Lack of control allows the Pine Bark Beetle infestation to wipe out huge sections of forest. - Ending grazing contracts, allowing grass and brush to grow uncontrolled. 2. Despite trying to have a "virgin" forest, we fight the fires which are essential in the self management process, allowing the bark beetle to continue to spread, and allowing the tree and brush density to increase to nearly 3x healthy levels. 3. Increased CO2 levels promote additional growth, which adds more fuel. We either need to manage it properly, or leave it completely alone.

  23. food prices? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If this actually happens we can expect all that nice CA raised food to increase in price, because the cost of living in CA will go up and so will the needed profits and or wages.

    I guess the liberal democrats can just keep depending on starving 'undocumented' immigrants to keep work for slave wages. Seriously get them documented so they can have that $15 minimum wage and see how that helps your economy.

  24. Externalities cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That forces you to shift power in time using storage, and storage is expensive.

    Gas is even more expensive, when you factor in the externalities of CO2 release. Every non-renewable becomes prohibitive when you do the full accounting.

  25. Re:Failed state by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and close to bankruptcy

  26. Re:Failed state by bblb · · Score: 0

    Yet they are the 5th largest economy.

    Doesn't matter how much you make if you can't control your spending... funny how the state is so wealthy yet on the verge of bankruptcy, unable to honor pension, in dire need of billions in infrastructure spending due to misallocated funding earmarked for critical infrastructure being used on partisan boondoggles, and faces an ongoing crisis of wealth and business fleeing the state. CA is so rich that Arnold had to raid the public transportation account for over $1 billion to cover shortfalls in the general-fund caused by wasteful liberal spending. CA is so rich that they had to tack another $0.40 tax on to every gallon of gas at the start of this year to keep scamming low income residents for money they can't afford to pay for projects they don't want. But sure... sit back and pretend screaming "we're the fifth largest economy in the world" is an answer to anything...

  27. Quit your whining by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Guess what? Left to their own devices humans will burn everything they can burn for fuel and they don't give a fuck about the environment, but they'll whine and cry and kick their feet when their lights don't come on and their cars won't start and it's 100 degrees out in the middle of winter. We'll run out of fossil fuels before too long and it's pants-on-head retarded to keep using them regardless, so how about all you whiners and complainers just get in line and get used to the idea that we HAVE TO CHANGE sooner or later so why not plan on it being sooner?

    1. Re:Quit your whining by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We'll get in line and get used to the idea that we HAVE TO CHANGE as soon as those fossil fuels run out...

      Shouldn't be long now. They've been talking about the fossil fuels running out since the '50s....

    2. Re:Quit your whining by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 0

      No, you have to stop using them as soon as possible . Stop shitting up the planet.

    3. Re:Quit your whining by shaksys · · Score: 1

      Stop shitting up the planet.

      Why? I have no kids and I dont care about those that come after me. Unfortunately for earth, most people have my mind set. Maybe we should have encouraged people to have kids so more people would care about the future of society.

    4. Re:Quit your whining by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Okay, maybe we round up people like you and put you in the ground as part of a carbon sequestration program. Since, you know, you can't be bothered to give a shit about anyone but yourself.

  28. should be a no brainer if not for .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I put on solar panels (15) on my house about 3 years ago. The average solar installation quote I got was somewhere around $20k. I did it in a weekend by myself for about $7k. The cost will not be an issue as I'll probably recover my cost in less then 5 years (I'm on the high tier of rates because I run the AC constantly). At $20k for solar "professionals"... forget it..

    It's really not that hard and any competent contractor can do it. Once people stop thinking of this as high tech and requiring special skills then there's really no good reason not to do it. I basically pieced together a bunch of youtube videos...

    1) The hardest thing for me was finding the first rafter. Its unnerving drilling into your roof. After that the rest of the rafters were evenly spaced.

    2) The second hardest thing was carrying up the panels by myself on a cruddy ladder. Imagine holding a huge panel with both hands while climbing up the ladder by leg balance alone... should have gotten some beers and friends together for this in afterthought.

    3) The 3rd hardest thing was connecting the system to the panel. You might want an electrician to do this if you're squeamish but it's still not a big deal.

    - Putting together the rack and attaching the panel was like an adult version of tinker toys.
    - Connecting the microinverters together was just click click click. some minor wiring for the junction box and end caps.
    - city permitting took some research but in the end I just photoshopped some schematics from the microinverter manufacturer to match my system. the inspector said they see better installations by owners then by solar "specialists".
    - grounding is easy with "weebs". Again.. like tinker toys.

    I hear it takes years to be a certified solar installer. That's just useless crap that drives up installation prices

  29. Some suggestions by presidenteloco · · Score: 1

    -Compressed air storage
    -Pumped hydro
    -Molten salt heat storage
    -Central hydrogen storage and fuel cell facility + 2x wind farms and PV to compensate for energy inefficiency
    -High voltage DC transmission north-south and east west from offshore and onshore windfarms and from PV in the central desert states for pre-dawn power
    -Geothermal

    --

    Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
    1. Re:Some suggestions by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      offshore and onshore windfarms

      Just a note - offshore wind farms are probably not going to happen off California. The continental shelf is very narrow on the West coast of North America, so there isn't all that much room to put wind farms out where they are particularly good for generating power.

    2. Re:Some suggestions by GonzoPhysicist · · Score: 1

      There already are plans to build them, they will be on floating platforms

      --
      horror vacui
  30. Re:Failed state by jwhyche · · Score: 2

    Yet they are the 5th largest economy.

    Yet, still lead the nation in poverty and homelessness.

    https://www.ocregister.com/201...

    --
    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  31. Re:Failed state by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

    California is in a perpetual competition with itself to come up with the most freedom infringing, pointless legislation possible... if it wastes money, achieves nothing, and oppresses people, Moonbeam Brown will get behind it.

    Yet they are the 5th largest economy.

    Which they did not achieve under the current governor/legislature.

    Fortunately for the current governor/legislature, this new law requires that they do absolutely nothing. It imposes limits on future governments of CA, which they may abide by, or not.

    After all, new laws supersede old laws, so if they can't achieve their goal, they (the future government) just have to pass a law saying "ummmm...never mind" about the whole green energy thing...

    And they only have to do that if someone remembers this law in 20 years, and brings suit against them for not following it....

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
  32. Re:Failed state by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Much of that is linked to operations in other states. It's a deceptive statistic.

  33. 100% Clean Everything by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    We should have 100% clean municipal water in Michigan. And 100% clean government in D.C.

    And 100% Clean coal, except if it's not actually clean we have the dump the soot into the ventilation at Mar-a-Lago.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  34. Re:Failed state by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If they could harness that perpetual competition engine, that would be greatly reduce the changes of Brown-outs. But seriously, they want to play the long game for existence and their energy mix combined with the energy shortage gives them the motivation to pursue this way forward.

  35. Re:Failed state by Ichijo · · Score: 3, Informative

    Indeed, states like Arizona and Alaska have their own natural solutions to homelessness. And remember when Nevada was caught shipping their homeless to California?

    And despite that, California and other blue states continue to subsidize the red states. If that stopped, blue states would be awash in cash and red states (except Texas) would have some very difficult choices to make, like when Kansas nearly bankrupted itself under conservative tax policy. And then the new federal caps on mortage interest and state tax deductions will only increase the flow of money from blue states to red states, by design.

    Of course none of this excuses California's rate of poverty and homelessness. There's plenty of money in the state, it just isn't distributed very well. And that's self-defeating for Democrats because poor people tend vote less than wealthier people and when they do, they tend to vote Democrat.

    --
    Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
  36. Re:Failed state by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

    Actually, California's running a budget surplus. And has for the last few years.

  37. Re:Failed state by jeff4747 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Doesn't matter how much you make if you can't control your spending... funny how the state is so wealthy yet on the verge of bankruptcy

    California's running a budget surplus, and has for the last few years.

    You're thinking of Kansas, the state that went so broke following supply-side economics that they violated their Constitution.

  38. 100% clean what by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    Title is wrong: 100% clean electricity is not 100% clean energy. Fuel will still be allowed for cars and planes, which are huge greenhouse gas emitters.

    This is a step in the right direction, but not toward 100% of problem solved.

  39. I will be very surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the human race still exists in any meaningful capacity in 2045.

  40. Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

    Clean power, bad news for Russia. End of the petroleum age. End of petroleum economy. The Russian mafia has a plan of course.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    1. Re:Bad news for Russia by blindseer · · Score: 0

      Clean power, bad news for Russia. End of the petroleum age. End of petroleum economy. The Russian mafia has a plan of course.

      Yes, of course they have a plan. I've seen their secrets and the plan is simply diabolical. They intend to sell coal, oil, and natural gas cheaper than wind and solar energy. Those bastards! What could we ever do to stop them?

      Oh, I know. Maybe we could find a way to get wind and solar to be cheaper than the energy the world buys from Russia. Oh, and maybe start building more nuclear power plants for cheap, clean, and domestic, energy. Because, you know, maybe it just might work.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    2. Re:Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      They intend to sell coal, oil, and natural gas cheaper than wind and solar energy.

      Good luck with that. Hint: sun rays are free. The wind is free. In case you didn't get the memo, solar and wind power are already cheaper than fossil fuel.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    3. Re: Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Facts don't bother you much when you think you've got a great argument going, do they? But let's try some facts anyway. See where it says "Germany 6.7%" and "Italy 7.5%"? That is now, in fact that is already in the past. Solar capacity is being added exponentially. Try to understand the implications for a petrorepublic like Russia, just try.

      Face it, the sun is setting on the fossil fuel era, and on the petroleum economies. The future belongs to renewables and batteries.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    4. Re: Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      I've seen the math on the silicon, copper, aluminum, iron, and so many other materials that would have to be mined for making the solar panels, the structures to hold them up, and the wires to connect them all.

      You're on crack, solar panels are mostly sand. Cost of solar will continue to decrease by 20% for each doubling of capacity. Any upward blip in petroleum price will only accelerate the solar capacity curve. It's ramping up faster than anybody dreamed, especially BP, and especially Putin. Adding to the upcoming misery: Russia supplies nothing to the solar industry. China on the other hand, is doing very well, not to mention already having the world's largest and fastest growing installed capacity.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    5. Re: Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      sand that is "free" for anyone to just dig up from the ground, like uranium and coal.

      You seem to be unclear on the relative abundance of sand vs coal and uranium. Let me help you:

      Silicon: 28%
      Carbon: .02%
      Uranium: 0.00027%

      I see you really want to turn the topic to nuclear. Ok, it's flat on its back and likely to stay there. In future its role may grow slightly as a swing producer for niche markets such as the far north. Dirty, risky and not renewable you see. Nobody needs Russia's uranium and nobody wants their crappy, exploding nuclear plants, not even them. Maybe Russia will be able to get by on Krocadyl exports.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    6. Re: Bad news for Russia by blindseer · · Score: 1

      You seem to be unclear on the relative abundance of sand vs coal and uranium.

      You seem to be unclear on the amount of energy we are able to extract from coal and uranium compared to sand. You seem able to search Wikipedia as well as I am, go look it up. It's not like these elements are evenly distributed in the crust, nature did a lot of work concentrating them for us.

      I see you really want to turn the topic to nuclear.

      Yep, kind of like how you keep bringing up solar. Seems we both have our own funny habits.

      Maybe Russia will be able to get by on Krocadyl exports.

      You seem to know something of this. That explains your commentary.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    7. Re: Bad news for Russia by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      You seem to be unclear on the amount of energy we are able to extract from coal and uranium compared to sand.

      The energy comes from the sun, not the sand. Idiot.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  41. Move tonevada by shaksys · · Score: 1

    I meet people (developers) who move from cali to reno NV all the time in order to escape high taxes. After this, they will be escaping either higher taxes (to further subsidize solar) or high taxes AND high energy prices. This law will have to come with a tax on people moving out of state, or some sort of tax on people who *used to* live in California.

  42. They will be sorry by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    Wind does not always blow, and I know it is California, and the song says it never rains in California, but sometimes the sun does not shine, like at NIGHT. The problem, even with ramping up storage capacity, is that if the demand, outstrips what people "normally" use, they can't just make the sun shine longer, or the wind to blow harder. With coal, gas, nuclear, hydro power, you can "gen up" to put more power into the grid, when capacity, goes beyond what is available. Here is what may happen to California users. Say it's an unusually hot period of weather, or lots of rain with little wind. The battery storage goes down and the demand for electricity goes up. The utilities of California will have to purchase power from some other location to meet the demand. The cost associated with that, will be passed onto consumers with HIGHER bills. You can hope "clean" all you want, but unless you have storage capacity the size of texas, don't count on it. Placing all your eggs in one basket, could hurt California.

    1. Re:They will be sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Coal doesn't always burn in your generator. Nor does uranium last forever. So all forms have problems of intermittency. California got a LOT of intermittency not because of the generators but because o the company providing electricity to the state. What are you expecting to happen with wind/solar that doesn't already happen and get dealt with?

  43. tooooo easy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    with all those over paid sanitation workers picking up poop (100+G/year) ...
    burn the poop! cheaper than coal, less toxic to the atmospere and it make the city smell clean!

    ps
    cali is still burning so there likely won'tbe much left by then anyway!

  44. No problem Molten Salt Reactor using Cheap Thorium by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    High temps, no pressure. If it leaks is freezes.
    50 year old technology currently recently going on line in China.
    Goggle it

  45. Tech companies send notice by tensigh · · Score: 1

    "In an unrelated note, Silicon Valley tech companies announced relocating their data centers for Texas for an undisclosed reason".

  46. Re:Failed state by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only by stealing from the pension funds and hoping the Trump economy will cover up the thefts until they are out of office.

  47. This REALLY needs to be sooner by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    Seriously, CA, as well as America, needs to cut that sooner. As in 2035.
    Add to that, they should require all vehicles be BEV, or series hybrid for certain ones (off-roads including Ag and Construction, EMS, etc). There should also be exceptions for antique cars.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    1. Re:This REALLY needs to be sooner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to you America is cutting 1/3 by 2025 anyway, and the cuts are getting faster. So there will be nothing left to cut by 2035 anyway. Why are CA even mentioning it? Just cheap PR for something you claim is happening already.
      Seems they need to cheerlead every little thing America does too.

  48. Uhhh....No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When the bone crushing realities of such fairy tale intentioned plans are realized, Germany's similar fancy plans will have failed by then, and the forces of more realistic political legislators will dominate accordingly.
    Get real, or die.
    I observe none of the political hacks dreaming up this plan will still be in office when the political and financial bills come due.
    Don't get me wrong, I'm pro clean energy, but I know a crap, top down, arrogant, filled-with-unintended-consequences bill when I see one.

  49. Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by blindseer · · Score: 1

    Hint: sun rays are free. The wind is free.

    The wind and sun as sources of energy are as "free" as coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium. Just like wind and sun all you have to do is build the machines to collect this energy and turn it into a form we find useful.

    If the wind and sun is "free" then everything we use for energy is "free".

    Another problem is that we can't just pile up wind and solar energy into a storage bin like we can coal and uranium. Coal and uranium are already stored up for us in the dirt. We can draw from this store at any rate we choose, when we choose. Given the vastness of the supply of this store of energy, especially in uranium, it's as limitless as wind and sun could ever promise to be. Solar power gets real expensive at night, while coal and uranium cost just the same. Well, coal and uranium tends to get a bit cheaper at night, but that's more on the limits of our technology than any real change in our ability to dig it up from the ground.

    The wind and sun may be free but the machines to harvest and store this energy are not. Good luck with your plans on a future powered by wind and sun.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    1. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      The wind and sun as sources of energy are as "free" as coal...

      Yah, no. Coal doesn't fall on you from the sky.

      Earth to you: the future powered by wind and sun is already here. What rock do you live under?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    2. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by blindseer · · Score: 1

      Yah, no. Coal doesn't fall on you from the sky.

      The sun that falls from the sky is worthless for doing actual valuable work without machines to collect, convert, divert, store, and transmit it. The sun is no more free energy than the coal buried in the ground. If you want to maintain that sun is "free" energy then I will maintain that coal and uranium is also "free" energy by the same argument. The difference is that the uranium and coal in the ground is a store of energy that can be drawn from at any time and in any weather. That cannot be said of solar power. Storing that solar power fro when it fails to fall from the sky costs money, and therefore is even further from "free".

      Earth to you: the future powered by wind and sun is already here.

      Powering a nation on wind and hydro for a minute or two in the middle of the night on a holiday is far from a future powered by "free" energy.

      What rock do you live under?

      I'd like to ask you, what color is the sky on your planet?

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    3. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The future where wind and solar power "100%" of demand on record days, and lignite is burned the rest of the time. I live on Earth, where most of us want reliable and clean energy around the clock to support civilization, even if many ignorant folk don't realize that greenwashed coal isn't really clean energy.

      You appear to be missing the point about coal, or are being intentionally obtuse. Both solar and coal are "free", yet both need collecting. At least the energy from coal is already concentrated and stored, and can be released where and when demanded. Solar needs a vast area of materials intensive collectors, a large and underutilized/uneconomical grid to concentrate and transmit the power, and some means to store it, all of which are hopelessly uneconomical at the scale needed, except pumped hydro, which is limited by geography.

      Nuclear provides all the benefits of coal, with a much smaller environmental footprint than any of the so-called "renewables".

    4. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Both solar and coal are "free", yet both need collecting.

      Only one of those is renewable, that is, infinitely available. Never mind clean, that's another issue.

      Hey, give me a break, coal is so over. Everybody knows that. You aren't a trumpist by any chance, are you?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    5. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by blindseer · · Score: 1

      Only one of those is renewable, that is, infinitely available. Never mind clean, that's another issue.

      Nuclear is renewable by any honest definition you can come up with to define a renewable energy source. Also as clean as solar, again by any honest definition of clean that might apply to solar power.

      Hey, give me a break, coal is so over. Everybody knows that.

      Coal is over, I'm quite certain of that. It is going to take a long time to fade away though.

      You aren't a trumpist by any chance, are you?

      No, I play the upright bass. I'm not sure how or why this is relevant.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    6. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only one of those is renewable, that is, infinitely available. Never mind clean, that's another issue.

      The sun will burn out before we use up the terrestrial nuclear fuel, and then we have lunar nuclear fuel, and so on. "Renewable" is a brand used for discrimination, and less sustainable than nuclear by every metric that matters, often by a lot.

      Hey, give me a break, coal is so over. Everybody knows that. You aren't a trumpist by any chance, are you?

      Globally, coal growth alone is still outpacing all of renewable additions by no small margin. Perhaps you should wait until the trend flips to make that statement. If you dropped the senseless anti-nuclear bent, it might happen quicker.

      If you support either party, you are a hopelessly ignorant tool. It is absurd to think that the policy decisions necessary to run a country can be mapped into one dimension, and amazing how anti-nuclear zealots equate pro-nuclear with pro-coal/pro-Trump. What I wouldn't give for a return to discourse where facts and reason weren't instantly met with insults and attempted censorship. Moderation is totally broken on the Internet today.

    7. Re:Wind and sun are as "free" as coal and uranium by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Nuclear is renewable by any honest definition you can come up with to define a renewable energy source.

      You created your own private definition of renewable. What use is that?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  50. Even if true, that beats the Democrats who by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    favored "states rights" only for the purpose of owning all the black folks as slaves.

    The Republicans favor states rights on many things (where the Constitution leaves something to the states) and oppose states rights where the states are explicitly trying to violate the Constitution, it's really just that simple.

    States Rights on immigration? Nope - the Constitution clearly and explicitly places border issues and citizenship issues with the federal government.
    States Rights on income tax rates? Sure - the Constitution leaves state and local taxes to the states and localities.
    States Rights on Setting emissions regulations for cars? No - the impact is dramatic on auto manufacturing and the choices of California make certain cars unable to be bought and sold across state lines thereby violating the rule that gives Congress the role of preventing individual states from interfering in interstate commerce.
    States Rights on owning slaves? No - the Constitution explicitly opposes slavery now that it has been amended (thanks to Republican president Abraham Lincoln) and frankly it was always implicitly a violation of the Constitution's protections of the rights of the individual (that oft-cited "3/5ths clause" only applied to "non-free persons" (not "blacks") and was put in there to limit the power of slave owners to extend slavery by getting political power from their large number of slaves).

    It's actually easy to know where a conservative will come down on any particular issue supposedly about "states' rights" - just dust-off a copy of the Constitution and READ IT instead of imagining it says whatever the hell you wish it says on any particular day and when you are in any particular mood.

  51. Bad news for solar (Re: Bad news for Russia) by blindseer · · Score: 1

    Face it, the sun is setting on the fossil fuel era, and on the petroleum economies. The future belongs to renewables and batteries.

    I've seen the future, and it's not powered by solar collectors. I've seen the math on the silicon, copper, aluminum, iron, and so many other materials that would have to be mined for making the solar panels, the structures to hold them up, and the wires to connect them all. I've also seen the numbers on the mining needed for a future powered by nuclear power. The difference is quite stark. The materials needed for solar power is far greater than that needed for nuclear, an order of magnitude greater. That's with current technology and nuclear power is only improving.

    Now, you'll respond that solar power technology is also improving, and I will not dispute that. What we have now though is nuclear power having a head start on solar power in most every metric that is an order of magnitude ahead, and growing.

    Here's all I ask of the solar power advocates, let's end all the energy subsidies and let the market choose. No subsidies for wind, or for solar, or for oil, coal, natural gas, or uranium/ If what you say is true that the future is in solar power and batteries then you should not have a problem with this, that we'll get there anyway because solar power is such a superior source of energy.

    The solar advocates I've talked to would never even consider ending the solar power subsidies. I know why, because that would be a blow for solar that it might never recover from. All nuclear power advocates want is the opportunity to try. They don't want money any more, they just want permission to experiment. If nuclear power is a dead end, which I assume you believe, then where is the harm in proving this beyond all doubt with money from private investors?

    I've seen the future, and it's bright from nuclear powered lights.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  52. Bad news for solar power by blindseer · · Score: 1

    You're on crack, solar panels are mostly sand.

    Right, sand that is "free" for anyone to just dig up from the ground, like uranium and coal. Sand that will have to be processed into PV cells, just like we must process any ore into something useful. Then placed on structures built of steel and concrete, just like any power plant is built of steel and concrete. Then wired together with wires of copper and aluminum, like any other source of electricity. This all costs money, requires mining from the earth, just like any energy source. The difference is that getting energy from coal and uranium requires far less mining with more usable energy created.

    Energy from the sun is no more "free" than energy from anything else. Thinking that solar power is "free" suggests a drug addled mind.

    Cost of solar will continue to decrease by 20% for each doubling of capacity.

    Exponential growth in any real system is not sustainable. This will end.

    Any upward blip in petroleum price will only accelerate the solar capacity curve.

    Of that I have no doubt. It will also encourage investments in wind, hydro, nuclear, and whatever else we can think of to displace coal and oil.

    It's ramping up faster than anybody dreamed, especially BP, and especially Putin.

    Again, exponential growth cannot be sustained. This will end. The only question is what limit solar will hit first.

    Adding to the upcoming misery: Russia supplies nothing to the solar industry.

    But they do export uranium and nuclear power technology. Russia will do just fine in this, perhaps even come out ahead.

    China on the other hand, is doing very well, not to mention already having the world's largest and fastest growing installed capacity.

    China also announced a plan to dominate in the nuclear energy market. All that proves is that nations like Russia and China are not placing the future of their nations on the promise of solar power. They are taking a true "all the above" energy strategy. Any nation that wishes to survive the impending collapse of the petroleum markets, and solar hitting the wall on it's current exponential growth, would be wise to invest in every energy technology we can think of.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  53. California willl only get 100% clean with nuclear by blindseer · · Score: 2

    I went into considerable detail on this a couple days ago here:
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    If any state in the USA wants energy that is cheap, clean, safe, reliable, feasible in the short term, and with promise to stay that way in the long term, then they must invest heavily in wind, hydro, and nuclear. Oh, almost forgot, with a little bit of natural gas to speed things along on cleaning things up until something better comes along.

    California has been going backwards with their unreasonable hating on nuclear power. Maybe some of this is justified with seismic activity in the state but there are means to address this.

    What is exceedingly frustrating is that the politicians that made this promise will not be in office to see it through. This is no different than Obama signing a pledge to have the USA reduce it's carbon footprint only days before he left office. He didn't even bother to make it binding in any way by sending it to Congress.

    If these politicians were smart then they'd be doing wind, hydro, and nuclear right now. If they were honest on following through then the pledges on making this happen would be within their terms in office.

    I'd like to see a politician make a JFK style promise, "in this decade", once in a while. Anything longer beyond 10 years is outside the power of any politician to promise anything. A promise on the scale of 10 years is having a working plan in 2 years, 2 more for breaking ground, 2 for building something tangible, 2 for testing, and 2 for making it happen. On this scale we can see it happen and call them on it if the milestones haven't been reached.

    The video on that Bloomberg article spent a lot of time explaining the "experience curve" and how it can improve performance and bring down costs on renewable energy. That same thing applies to nuclear power. Nuclear power costs keep rising because it is rare for anyone to build more than a handful of any one kind of reactor. If the US federal government would just allow people to get this experience, and keep it, by issuing licenses for new reactors more than once in a decade then nuclear power could experience the benefits of this experience curve too.

    Solar power was once far too expensive until people decided to make long term investments in bringing down costs. If the politicians in California made this kind of investment then they could enjoy this from nuclear power just as they could from solar. By betting everything in solar plus batteries they set themselves on a path with no competition, and therefore only a bunch of people in industry working to maximize on tax credits against other companies in the solar market instead of making something that can thrive outside California mandates. Pit solar, nuclear, wind, and hydro against each other in a free market means near assurance of reaching their goal. Betting everything on solar and storage is just setting themselves up to fail.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  54. Nope nukes get bilions in subsidies. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You need to remove those. And also stop pretending that your nukes are 95% up. They don't manage much more than 60%, they just don't count planned outages as outages.

    1. Re:Nope nukes get bilions in subsidies. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You need to remove those. And also stop pretending that your nukes are 95% up.

      I have access to the internet too. I can fact check this and nuclear has an average capacity factor of 92%
      https://www.statista.com/statistics/191201/capacity-factor-of-nuclear-power-plants-in-the-us-since-1975/

      If you want to argue over 95% over 92% then that's fine, just don't feed me bullshit I can check with a minute of internet searching.

      They don't manage much more than 60%, they just don't count planned outages as outages.

      You mean like wind and solar like to do? They'll advertise an "availability factor" of 98% which is how much time that they can produce power while the sun shines and wind blows. That's not counting outages as outages.

      Capacity factors of wind at 40% are considered great and 50% possible but only in the most ideal locations. Solar has a capacity factor of at best 35%. If you want to compare apples to apples then nuclear still looks very good on either capacity factor or availability factor.

  55. Clean != Emissions free, or IMPACT free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are serious environmental problems associated with EVERY source of energy we use.

    Solar just shifts pollution to China where the Silicon is grown

    Construction of Hydro displaces underserved populations and destroys native habitat, and the operation of it interferes with natural fish breeding cycles and spreads insect-borne diseases by creating large, stagnant pools of water for fertile breeding ground

    Nuclear's environmental disaster is obvious

    Fossil fuels' impact can be immediate or long-term. Coal, for example, deposits mercury and sulfur and toxic heavy metal compounds in the short term, and creates atmospheric pollution in the near and long term. Natural gas is probably the least offender of them, creating mostly just CO2 and H2O, but still there are alleged problems with CO2 according to some.

    Windmills have had measurable effects on migratory bird populations and have already been shown to change migration and settling patterns, resulting in a negative impact on several species, including some endangered birds.

    There's nothing we can do to make energy that is going to be "clean." California is really just trying to feel good about itself when really it's just shifting burdens from one area of the ecosystem to another.

  56. More Good with BS mixed in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just love it, but ignoring the Carbon footprint that your 100% Clean energy needs to be created is more BS.
    As it turns out you produce more to build and supply with batteries an "emissions free electric car" than driving a petrol vehicle.
    SO yes, go for renewables, but stop virtue signaling ignorance.
    Those solar panel plants more than make up for you not using an oil furnace.
    It's coming, as soon as the Oil companies buy them up, you'll have solar car and all the cotton candy you could want.

  57. This just in by AnalogDiehard · · Score: 1

    The 1974 CA Paperless Toilet Law, whose deadline was extended 30 times since its passage, has had its deadline extended yet again due to authorities struggling to contain the illegal toilet paper rolls flowing into California from other states. CA legislators are pushing through a bill in Congress to place identification markings on the cardboard rolls so that their origins can be traced and to establish a federal toilet paper roll registry.

    --
    Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
  58. Re:California willl only get 100% clean with nucle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People really need to read the original comment from the link given. I'll save you a click and post it here.

    It should not be difficult to fathom that much of the pollution in most every part of the world is from burning coal and liquid petroleum fuels. This is primarily from generating electricity and transportation. People don't burn these fuels because they want pollution, they burn them because they are cheap and convenient. To get cleaner air we need energy that is not just clean but also cheap and convenient. How shall we do this?

    To get an engineering plan start with the cheapest electricity.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    Geothermal comes out on top. Natural gas is second. What's the next three, tossing out dirty coal? Hydro, nuclear, and wind.

    While not a pollutant I'll take a short diversion and look at CO2 output of the different energy sources for electricity.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    The best three on that list is hydro, nuclear, and wind. Geothermal and solar make a good show as well. Natural gas isn't great but it is far better than coal.

    Let's look at the energy sources with the best energy return on investment, because long term this will reflect on the cost.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    If we toss out dirty oil and coal we again get the same top three, hydro, nuclear, and wind. Geothermal and natural gas make a good show as well.

    Let's look at the safest energy sources, because even if we clean the air for health reasons it doesn't help if people are dead.
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/j...
    Hydro, nuclear, and wind top the list, solar certainly does well, and there's a wide margin to the rest. Geothermal is not on the list for some reason. Natural gas isn't great but better than coal and biomass fuel.

    By my estimation we need to use hydro, nuclear, and wind for electricity. Until I can see more about geothermal I can't recommend it. Solar simply costs too much, is not very convenient/reliable, and isn't all that great on safety, so I can't recommend it unless all others are unavailable. Wind and nuclear need a little help to load follow and hydro works well for this. If there isn't enough hydro around then the obvious choice is natural gas.

    When it comes to transportation we should electrify as much land transport as we can, cars and trains mostly. What do we do about vehicles where electricity is not practical? Mr. Pickens has a plan, natural gas.
    http://pickensplan.com/the-pla...

    Pickens admits that that natural gas is a bridge fuel. A bridge to what? Maybe synthesized fuel from hydro, nuclear, and wind, that's my guess. Natural gas burns far cleaner than gasoline, diesel, and marine fuel oil. Natural gas is a proven technology, cheap, plentiful, and can be adopted fairly quickly. At least adopted quickly for most transportation on land and sea. For air transportation we'll need to continue with kerosene until we find something better.

    Natural gas is as convenient as electricity and gasoline combined for personal cars. People can fill up at a filling station in minutes like gasoline, and at home if you have natural gas service for heating and cooking. Maybe the best could be from a natural gas/electric hybrid.

    At sea we can adopt more nuclear, beyond just warships. Perhaps even resurrect the windjammers, sailing ships built in the last days of sail using steel hulls and other modern materials.

    I keep seeing articles on the problems

  59. Re:Failed state by bblb · · Score: 1

    Look at that, a strawman and an ignorant swipe at capitalism all in one shot. You just went full liberal, never go full liberal... What's next, you gonna teach us how to count to potato? No... I'm thinking of California. You know, the state that despite being the 5th largest economy in the world ranked 29th on the economic performance index for 2017 and 47th in economic outlook... you know, the state that came in dead last among all 50 states in quality of living according to a US News & World report... You know, the state that's so shitty they're spending over $1,000,000 for people to literally pick up shit off the streets in San Francisco. You know, California... the state where thousands of high paid professionals pack up and leave every day for places like Texas and Utah or Arizona... You know, California, the state where the overwhelming majority of residents can't afford to pay rent, let alone buy property. Good 'ol California, the state where they're driving away big businesses like Carl's Jr who'd been there for six decades (off to Nashville) and Toyota (off to Dallas) or Jacobs Engineering (also to Dallas)... etc, etc, etc But, yeah sure, your whole "derp derp, Kansas went supply side and that's the problem, derp derp" reasoning makes way more sense. Lemme guess... Trump's not your president, you think there's 483 different genders, you can never decide which bathroom to use, you think taxes are theft, and you call yourself a libertarian... am I right? You go ahead and keep on "resisting" lil buddy, I'll stick to the facts.

  60. Re:No problem Molten Salt Reactor using Cheap Thor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    High temps, no pressure. If it leaks is freezes.
    50 year old technology currently recently going on line in China.
    Goggle it

    The goggles! They do nothing!

  61. Cool! by fropenn · · Score: 1

    This means that, in my conservative state, we will have 100% clean electricity by 2145! I'm looking forward to it!