Nearly all new US power plants built in 2024 will be clean energy

[fromport]

Chart: Nearly all new US power plants built in 2024 will be clean…

Renewables, batteries and nuclear will add up to 96% of all new power capacity constructed this year, per federal data.

www.canarymedia.com

Renewables, batteries and nuclear will add up to 96% of all new power capacity constructed this year, per federal data.

 

[Hedges]

"Clean."
How times have changed, in my lifetime.

Anti-nuclear protests in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fromport]

"Clean."
How times have changed, in my lifetime.

Anti-nuclear protests in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Nuclear is only 2%

 

[DIYrich]

A lot of "dirty" plants are having their life extended for grid stability.

 

[Ampster]

A lot of "dirty" plants are having their life extended for grid stability.

That is true, but in one case that I am familiar with, the Redondo Beach generating station in California, owned by AES, got a brief extension and finally last month announced that they are closing. It was ocean cooled and never upgraded because it was no longer needed. The land near the harbor is very valuable and has been sold and distribution lines will be taken down. It was rarely used and I do not know the scedule for demolition.

 

[Brucey]

A lot of "dirty" plants are having their life extended for grid stability.

And still 20% coal and 40% gas running baseload along with nuclear. What's crazy to me is here in NY gas is the new enemy. After forcing a move into natural gas from coal, now the government is trying to force a move to all electric statewide. In a state where ice storms could take the grid down for weeks. Just crazy stuff. Sure the wealthy and governors mansion will have backup generators but what about the working poor? The elderly?

 

[Brucey]

"Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators say allowing Diablo Canyon to provide electricity until 2030 is critical to ensure the reliability of the grid as California transitions to renewable energy and weans itself off fossil fuels."

Feds allow Diablo Canyon to stay open while seeking 20-year extension

PG&E will seek a 20-year permit — but state officials only want the nuclear power plant open through 2030 to smooth the transition to renewable energy.

calmatters.org

 

[Rednecktek]

Sure the wealthy and governors mansion will have backup generators but what about the working poor? The elderly?

What about them?

Sincerely,
Politicians.

 

[Brucey]

What about them?

Sincerely,
Politicians.

After Cuomo killed tens of thousands of elderly by forcing nursing homes to take in known infected....Hochul is just trying to maintain the death numbers.

 

[SparkyJJO]

But i like me some carbon in the morning.

And still 20% coal and 40% gas running baseload along with nuclear. What's crazy to me is here in NY gas is the new enemy. After forcing a move into natural gas from coal, now the government is trying to force a move to all electric statewide. In a state where ice storms could take the grid down for weeks. Just crazy stuff. Sure the wealthy and governors mansion will have backup generators but what about the working poor? The elderly?

The governor already showed she uses gas and just wants it taken from the rest of us.

 

[RCinFLA]

Most utility have jumped on cheap natural gas supply. Also a lot easier to setup new small turbo-shaft, cogeneration natural gas plants. With cogeneration of jet exhaust used to heat water they are over 50% efficient on natural gas btu input to electrical watts output.

Fracking is a necessity to get the quantity of natural gas.

When cheap natural gas runs out there is going to be issues.

Interesting case study is state of Texas with its isolated grid. Because of the complicated economics of electric utility business in Texas, they have the largest percentage of electrical supply from solar and wind generation, even in a state dominated by big oil industry.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Most utility have jumped on cheap natural gas supply. Also a lot easier to setup new small turbo-shaft, cogeneration natural gas plants. With cogeneration of jet exhaust used to heat water they are over 50% efficient on natural gas btu input to electrical watts output.

Fracking is a necessity to get the quantity of natural gas.

When cheap natural gas runs out there is going to be issues.

Interesting case study is state of Texas with its isolated grid. Because of the complicated economics of electric utility business in Texas, they have the largest percentage of electrical supply from solar and wind generation, even in a state dominated by big oil industry.

And Texas keeps proving that when you need it most you can't rely on wind!

 

[Ampster]

With cogeneration of jet exhaust used to heat water they are over 50% efficient on natural gas btu input to electrical watts output.

Are those sized to fit in a corner of my garage yet? They are a perfect match for large food processing facilities that need heat for canning food products like tomato paste and sauce.

 

[Ampster]

And Texas keeps proving that when you need it most you can't rely on wind!

That is only because they chose to not winterize their windmills..Wind turbines work in a lot colder climates than Texas, like the Midwest, Denmark, Germany and China.
That lack of foresight in Texas was not limited to renewables. They also saved money by not removing water vapor from Natural Gas and when that moisture froze in the pipes, there was limited Natural Gas as well.

 

[AntronX]

Nuclear is only 2%

Generating 10% of energy of all those new sources combined. The real workhorse.

 

[hwy17]

To be a little pedantic, Combined Cycle is when you use the turbine exhaust to heat water to make steam to drive another generation turbine and Cogeneration is when you use the exhaust heat to make steam for process heat or building heat.

Santa Clara has a customer that wants steam for process heat so they set up a little cogen turbine on site for them, where they burn the gas in a generator turbine to take the electricity off into the grid, and then sell the customer the steam on site.

Santa Clara's main generator is a combined cycle, where both cycles generate electricity.

I'm not sure if you can have a combined cycle cogen plant, where you use the heat 3 times, but that would be a crazy efficiency. I think maybe when the steam comes out of the combined cycle turbine it's not hot enough to serve process heat. Probably could serve building heat but we don't like to put power plants right by big office or residential buildings nowadays.

 

[fromport]

Comment from a reddit poster:


Some power plants do nothing but things like correct grid frequency and absorb peaks. This used to be done with gas fired turbines and lots of fuel. Now it's a brick of batteries and some transistors. The first big Australian grid battery cost $65M and makes a million a day in power savings. Most power plants used to run at 110% power and vent surplus energy just to have capacity ready to go.

Wait 2-3 years and you will see grid battery storage explode by 500% or more. Sodium-ion batteries are now perfected and they are building the factories as fast as they can. It's the perfect 15-20 year grid storage battery. At $44/kWh, It's 1/3 the price of lithium now and since the input cost is only $4-$8kWh as soon as the factories are paid off prices should plummet.

And there are no material limitations, and little to no thermal regulation needed. They are perfectly happy at -4F or 140F (-20C to +60C)., with come companies claiming -70C to +100c operating ranges. It's the perfect grid battery. (However they are only suited to low horsepower city cars)

The important part to realize is that the business case for fossil fuel power is dead.

 

[Cronix]

In the meantime, China is bringing an average of 2 new coal fired power plants online per week.

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/02/1160441919/china-is-building-six-times-more-new-coal-plants-than-other-countries-report-fin

 

[Rednecktek]

Sodium-ion batteries are now perfected and they are building the factories as fast as they can.

OK, that made me laugh!