Making PJM all wind and solar would cost over $2.4 trillion in battery backup

CFACT ^ | July 12th, 2025 | David Wojick

[Carry_Okie]

Distributed micro-nukes are the way to go.

Everything else pales by comparison.

[fruser1]

Cost is no object when the end goal is a totalitarian state that has a few hundred million slaves at its disposal.

[GOPJ]

Their territory includes the Washington, DC metro area, where all the federal bigwigs live, making it a good place to start. I also live there. We are quantifying a fantasy, so let’s keep it very simple. In fact, the basic question is why hasn’t PJM done this simple analysis? They do a lot of sophisticated grid modeling. Or maybe they have done this crucial assessment, but it is a secret, which is even worse.

AND, WHAT PART OF 'RARE' AS IN RARE EARTH ELEMENTS DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND?

[thinden]

To: george76
Cost is no object when the end goal is a totalitarian state that has a few hundred million (tax paying) slaves at its disposal.

Fify

[rktman]

Not today satan! 😂😂😂

[george76]

renewable energy still cannot compete with oil and gas..

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4328430/posts

[AZJeep]

And what about pollution!
Batteries, solar cells and windmills are very polluting and they destroy the nature, usually for good!
The environmentalists seem not to see this?!
This stuff would destroy our land and air, kill all the trees, owls, eagles, and snails.
Worse than the worst pollution during industrial revolution!

[EQAndyBuzz]

“ Cost is no object when the end goal is a totalitarian state that has a few hundred million (tax paying) slaves at its disposal.”

Which is why when I get things from the electric company to put in a smart thermostat I decline. I don’t need them regulating the temperature in my house.

[null and void]

For those on us in the rest of the world, PJM comes from Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, U.S.

[TexasGator]

“In fact, the basic question is why hasn’t PJM done this simple analysis?”

Simple answer. There is no need for them to do the analysis.

[TexasGator]

“AND, WHAT PART OF ‘RARE’ AS IN RARE EARTH ELEMENTS DON’T THEY UNDERSTAND?”

Rare earths elements are quite abundent!

[Tell It Right]

PJM’s estimate peak demand for 2030 is about 180,000 MW.
Meeting that for 16 hours with batteries requires 2,880,000 MWh of usable storage.

Don't forget inverter capacity. Not only do you need tons of battery storage, you also need to be able to convert that DC power to AC power and however rate the load needs (in this article that's 180 GW).

[chaosagent]

One thing I never hear talked about is how much 'energy' we're pulling from the wind, and especially the underwater turbines that are being installed in some places.

Is that going to start affecting weather patterns and ocean currents?

All that 'energy' has to come from somewhere.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Just think of all the African children they can enslave in their mines!

[thinden]

“ Cost is no object when the end goal is a totalitarian state that has a few hundred million (tax paying) slaves at its disposal.”

Which is why when I get things from the electric company to put in a smart thermostat I decline. I don’t need them regulating the temperature in my house.

xxxxxxx

yeah that would be a bad move

[thinden]

nat gas or clean coal

[BobL]

“Distributed micro-nukes are the way to go.”

I don’t know if you’re talking the same as Small Modular Reactors (around 77 MW), but their cost per watt is now matching traditional US nuclear plant cost. Seems that every large project gets more expensive as it gets closer to reality.

[BobL]

Thanks for the info. A quick, in my head estimate, is that the population served is about 130M, so at 2.4T, it comes out to about $20,000 per person, or $80,000 per family of 4. Definitely some real money.

The more fun part is how they deal with their huge battery facilities lighting up every once in a while. That would probably happen monthly, given the scale.

[OKSooner]

Just don’t allow anyone to use electricity for anything except to charge up their e-car overnight.

Then everything will be perfect.

See?