Renewable energy is a failed path scientist tells Utah legislators Wind Energy - Solar Energy HEAD TOPICS
Renewable energy is a failed path scientist tells Utah legislators
10/21/2022 6:00:00 PM A professor from St Louis told a Utah legislative committee this week the true costs of wind and solar rule those alternatives out No other views were presented
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Source The Salt Lake Tribune
A professor from St Louis told a Utah legislative committee this week the true costs of wind and solar rule those alternatives out No other views were presented Washington University Professor William H. Smith tells a Utah legislative committee that the true costs of wind and solar energy make them a poor solution even though both technologies are widely used. He said the standard for comparing costs of electricity sources is called “Levelized Cost of Electricity,” which is calculated by adding up the total costs of a source over its lifetime and dividing it by the total energy expected from that source over the lifetime. Beyond cost, wind and solar simply can’t meet the capacity, he said. “Every day the grid will collapse because you can’t meet the peak power.”the CO2 CoalitionThere have been numerous deep dives into the issues of costs and capacity of renewable sources, and they raise similar concerns about intermittency, land use and the time and materials needed to build out storage. But the large studies have not concluded renewables won’t work. Read more:
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Solar farm to help thousands of Alabamians save money on electricity billAMEA is a coalition of municipal electric utilities that provides power to the cities of Alexander City, Dothan, Fairhope, Foley, LaFayette, Lanett, Luverne, Opelika, Piedmont, Sylacauga and Tuskegee. a research paper with colleagues in Switzerland and South Africa that claims to calculate a full cost of producing electricity from various sources.SALT LAKE CITY — Utah legislators heard an update on Wednesday regarding efforts to improve healthcare at Utah’s two prisons and relayed a few things they’re hearing from constituents.plan this year to stop using fossil fuels from Russia “well before 2030” and increase the share of renewables in its overall energy mix to 45 percent by the same date., issued by the International Energy Agency, predi cts that global this year will amount to less than 1%. The paper was published this year in the Journal of Sustainable Development, a Canadian scientific journal. “Now everyone will say that wind turbines and photovoltaics are cheaper than fossil fuels,” he told legislators.” “Families have contacted me before” regarding prison medical concerns, said Provo Representative Marsha Judkins. “That’s a stretch. The energy crisis has also pushed some countries to rethink their plans for nuclear energy.” He said the standard for comparing costs of electricity sources is called “Levelized Cost of Electricity,” which is calculated by adding up the total costs of a source over its lifetime and dividing it by the total energy expected from that source over the lifetime. Auditors last year found what they called “systematic deficiencies” in how Utah’s prisons provided healthcare. But Smith and his co-authors created an alternative metric they are calling the “full cost of electricity,” which he says factors in renewable energy costs not considered in LCOE, including the cost of storing power when renewables are not producing and the cost of replacing solar panels and windmills when they wear out. “The encouraging news is that solar and wind are filling much of the gap, with the uptick in coal appearing to be relatively small and temporary. He pointed to recent problems in Germany, where energy prices have shot up after Russia invaded Ukraine. Personally-identifiable medical records were found in a prison trash bin. Countries are also gearing up for a United Nations climate conference in November to follow up on commitments made in the 2015 Paris Agreement. He said Germany’s rush to renewables and decision to shut down nuclear plants is costing them now. Beyond cost, wind and solar simply can’t meet the capacity, he said. That didn’t solve all the medical problems. “Every day the grid will collapse because you can’t meet the peak power.” He also dismissed the idea that there is enough land available for the wind and solar farms to produce what fossil fuels do now. The glitches impacted healthcare at the Salt Lake City and Gunnison prisons. “Policy actions by governments are driving real structural changes in the energy economy,” Birol said. Thousands of square miles of wind and solar farms would be required. He added that windmills strike millions of insects, and no one is considering the biological effects. “Some things are implemented. Smith is a scientific and technical adviser to the CO2 Coalition , a nonprofit organization established “for the purpose of educating thought leaders, policy makers and the public about the important contribution made by carbon dioxide to our lives and the economy.” He is not compensated for his work, according to the coalition’s website.” Turley said 14 of the auditors’ recommendations have been implemented; two other recommendations are in progress. Smith presented to the Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Interim Committee at the invitation of Rep. Ken Ivory, but Ivory had a conflict and could not attend. Yet he said progress has been made. No other viewpoints were presented. There have been numerous deep dives into the issues of costs and capacity of renewable sources, and they raise similar concerns about intermittency, land use and the time and materials needed to build out storage. Wendy Parmley, director of medical and mental health issues at the Utah Prisoner Advocate Network, told legislators that the organization is still fielding more health concerns from inmates and families than it was at the height of the pandemic. But the large studies have not concluded renewables won’t work. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, under a contract with the U. We are afraid. S. Department of Energy, published a report identifying several alternatives for achieving net-zero emissions in U. “One individual has been having seizures repeatedly without his seizure medication,” she said.S. electricity.” Nielson said prison staff investigates such complaints. That study said renewables will be the low-cost leader in all the scenarios they examined. “Wind and solar provide most (60%–80%) of the generation in the least-cost electricity mix in all the main scenarios,” the report said. “I feel confident, the position we’re in now, that we are delivering medications timely. And Smith’s alma mater, Princeton University, published its “Net-Zero America” report that also developed scenarios for carbon-free power. “With multiple plausible and affordable pathways available, the societal conversation can now turn from “if” to “how” and focus on the choices the nation and its myriad stakeholders wish to make to shape the energy transition,” the Princeton report said.”. On land use, the Princeton scenario with the largest land use required more than 400,000 square miles for wind and solar farms, which is more than 10% of the contiguous U.S. But the study said enough suitable land is available for both wind and solar. Wind takes more area, but it also allows for other purposes like agriculture. The Princeton study also noted that thousands of square miles of U.S. land already are used to grow corn, and about 30 percent of U. S. corn is used to make fuel (ethanol). In general, legislators on the committee were receptive to Smith’s message, although Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said she would like to hear from Utah’s energy and electricity experts. “I don’t think we’re turning into Germany, but I don’t see anything wrong with diversifying our energy portfolio. ” PacifiCorp’s 20-year planning document, the Integrated Resource Plan , includes large additions of renewables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 74% over 2005 levels by 2030. Tim Fitzpatrick is The Salt Lake Tribune’s renewable energy reporter, a position funded by a grant from Rocky Mountain Power. The Tribune retains all control over editorial decisions independent of Rocky Mountain Power. .