Hippies and libertarians have become unlikely allies in a war against solar power

[MikeG22]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

If you call persons who take offered subsidies and rates 'freeloaders,' what bad name do you call companies that want to force you to pay for their operations whether you use them or not?

Your missing the point, you are using it just not during the day. So yes, at night, you are freeloading.

[MikeG22]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

They have to maintain the special capacitors that deliver it.

Pete

Fixed that for ya

[bobabode]

There certainly a middle way of solving our problems in this regard. The details will have be worked out. Fracking for natural gas has only delayed the urgency of kicking the fossil fuel addiction.

There are a few pilot plants out west who are utilizing molten salt to store the heat needed to run turbines after dark.

Peace, Bob

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by bobabode

There certainly a middle way of solving our problems in this regard. The details will have be worked out. Fracking for natural gas has only delayed the urgency of kicking the fossil fuel addiction.

There are a few pilot plants out west who are utilizing molten salt to store the heat needed to run turbines after dark.

Peace, Bob

Those who are about to fight for the North Pole and the China Seas do
not believe that the fossil is going away anytime soon.

As to fracking: God bless our NY Governor. He is holding out against
powerful forces.

No one has a clue what the F these companies are injecting in the
ground.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by MikeG22

Your missing the point, you are using it just not during the day. So yes, at night, you are freeloading.

I'm fine with people paying who use the grid.

But you missed my point. What about in the near future, when storage technology allows people to store their own energy, and cover the nighttime usage? Are you arguing for these proposals that fine people for disconnecting from the grid altogether?

[Rajoo]

If the utility company can buy the excess power generated at a discounted rate, that would subsidize the grid and it's maintenance. Right now it's an even swap at least here in CA.

[MikeG22]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

I'm fine with people paying who use the grid.

But you missed my point. What about in the near future, when storage technology allows people to store their own energy, and cover the nighttime usage? Are you arguing for these proposals that fine people for disconnecting from the grid altogether?

There are very few areas of the US that you can run an off grid system. Maybe in the distant future storage of energy will get better but as of now the only way you can is with backup power generation which take a guess what that runs on. Two days overcast and the generator is running.

If people want to disconnect knock themselves out, seems no different then my well for water. I don't get fined for not buying water from a public water system. However, if I lived in an area of town that had municipal water I would be fined for drilling a well due to municipal laws. So why should it be any different for electricity?

I'm curious what happens when I throw solar panels on my house and buy an electric car. Now I don't pay a utility bill or the tax on the fuel for my car.

[merrylander]

One simple question, why does electricity here cost double what I used to pay in Canada?

[donquixote99]

Wellm not so much much hydropower is made in Maryland, AFAIK. And do you have a big export market for power in Maryland to fund your infrastructure?

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Wellm not so much much hydropower is made in Maryland, AFAIK. And do you have a big export market for power in Maryland to fund your infrastructure?

Hydro is passe in Ontario, it is now mainly CANDU reactors on the Bruce peninsula. Quebec did complete a big hydro installation on the James bay before I left 30 years ago. The biggest difference is that power generation there is provincially owned, hence no shareholders and the need for profits.

Meanwhile back here in Baghdad on the Potomac. . . . The last CEO of the electric company was an investment banker, not an engineer, and he was not even a good investment banker as he lost a ton of profits.