Posted on 12/05/2007 12:26:54 AM PST by gpapa
Every week brings new claims that clean, free, inexhaustible renewable energy will soon replace the “dirty” fuels that sustain our economy today. A healthy dose of reality is needed.
Over half of our electricity comes from coal. Gas and nuclear generate 36% of our electricity. Barely 1% comes from wind and solar. Coal-generated power typically costs less per kilowatt hour than alternatives – leaving families with more money for food, housing, transportation and healthcare.
By 2020, the United States will need 100,000 megawatts of new electricity, say EIA, industry and utility company analysts. Unreliable wind power simply cannot meet these demands.
Wind farms require subsidies and vast stretches of land. To meet New York City’s electricity needs alone would require blanketing the entire state of Connecticut with towering turbines, according to Rockefeller University Professor Jesse Ausubel. They kill raptors and other birds, and must be backed up by expensive coal or gas power plants that mostly sit idle – but kick in whenever the wind dies down, so factories, schools, offices and homes don’t shut down.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Not a lot of oil fired plants now. Much of the numbers from Petroleum include using Petroleum Coke and Residual Oil; which are low value products left over after gasoline, diesel and others have been removed from the crude oil.
U.S. Electric Power Industry Net Generation, 2006 
Lots of gas fired plants and growing such as in California where it is mandated. Greenies pressure for gas fired electric plants
Burning coal to make steam to make electricity to make hydrogen is incredibly wasteful, when you can make hydrogen from coal and water. Google "water gas".
Only for 40 seconds?
No new nuclear power plants have been started in the US since Three Mile Island, in 1979.
Make that the Three Mile Island incident/accident in 1979, the plant there antedates that, naturally.
Which raises the price of gas for those of us who use it as a heating fuel at high latitudes.
The Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant is a 1,100-megawatt boiling water reactor owned and operated by Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving more than 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan.
The plant, located in Newport, Mich., began commercial operation in 1988. Since that time, the plant has produced more than 128 billion kilowatt hours of electricity for Detroit Edison customers.
http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154—177283—,00.html
Thanks! I stand corrected.
I did’nt know myself. And Fermi 2 is 25 miles away from me!
I found this searching....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935118/posts
Sorry Joe, a lot of nuclear power units were started after Three Mile Island Incident.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/operational.xls
The last US nuclear power unit that became operational in the US was the Watts Bar 1 nuclear reactor is located between Chattanooga and Knoxville, operated by TVA. It became operational in 1996.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/wattsbar.html
http://www.tva.gov/power/nuclear/nuclear_fact_sheet.pdf
bmflr
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Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Thanks
Even Watts Bar started construction prior to that date.
Many existing facilities have been refit, or their construction completed and come on line since then, but no construction sites are listed in the DOE spreadsheet after TMI (1979).
Note, too, the lag between construction starts and going on line. If we started tomorrow, it would take years for the first watt of electricity to come out of any new plant.
Keep in mind the lag in time was also due to the changing requirements that caused redesign and rework. It “should” not take that long today.
There are some beginning the process again.
NRC > New Reactor Licensing > Early Site Permits
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp.html
Well, if they fast-track the process, they should get the plants built before the fuel decays to lead. (maybe)!
Escalate Staircase National Monument has a tremendous supply.
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