Solar gardens in the state have just reached the 100 megawatt milestone.
This is actually something of a disappointment because a few years ago, Xcel, the main energy company involved in this, projected that we’d be at 200 megawatts by some time last year. On the other hand there are close to 180 new projects in design and construction phase. A current, revised estimate suggests that the statewide solar garden production will reach that 200 megawatt goal.
Currently, Minnesota plants are produce about 15,000 megawatts of electricity. So, the solar garden electricity is only 1% of our overall current production, and current electricity production is probably close to half of what it ultimately needs to be to replace liquid and gas energy used in homes and vehicles.
One percent may not sound like a lot, but this is one percent of the overall production that comes from pretty much nowhere. Just peopled deciding to fund a few solar panels. And, we are lucky that the state legislature in the past has not stood in the way of these efforts (though Republicans in the state legislature are now actively trying to stop solar).
There are a few large scale solar projects currently producing about 162 megawatts. Hardly anybody has solar on their roof, and all those flat topped public buildings, strip malls, etc. are sitting there unused. Most of them, anyway. If we fully deploy solar, this state, which by the way is fairly sunny, should be able to produce double a lot more electricity with solar.
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Commercial rooftops are lagging practically everywhere. here in California we have few commercial facilities that have solar, although I think the megacorps do it. There is a lot of residential -especially in the hotter areas with large airconditioning driven bills, and lots of utility plants large and small. Although here the problem is going to be how to integrate it, when it won’t be too long before solar meets of exceeds 100% of midday demand. Covered parking lots, somewhat common on schools, but I’ve never seen one on
a shopping center lot. Nor, do medical building seem to have any.
Here in NC we have a number of these solar farms set up and running.
Xcel Energy (the former and better name
of Northern States Power) advertising theme
“responsible by nature” which should really say,
mandated by Duma.
The Social Justice Energy nincompoops have MANDATED
25% green energy by 2025 !
Thanks to King Coal, the North Star State enjoyed energy
cost of up 20% less than the national average. That has
now been reduced to single figures, thanks to our Great Central
Planners. (make central planners great again)
The Donald, should have taken some of them with him and
left them in Peeking.
You are a idiot.
bill billson has repeatedly demonstrated that he is indeed an idiot (and his “central planning” crap simply reinforces that), but he’s also a liar and unfamiliar with facts. A quick check of information shows Minnesota’s cost for electricity is currently 15.9% below national average. Not single digits.
Given his lack of honesty about the magnitude, nothing else in his comment should be considered close do valid.
Things that a simpleton cannot grasp and that a Russian Troll strives to create conflict among Americans over:
1. Coal is in general the highest emitter of carbon dioxide per unit of energy produced.
2. Carbon dioxides traps heat by impeding the release of long wave radiation to space.
3. Trapping heat raises the planet’s surface temperature, resulting in ultimately deadly changes to climate.
4. Coal in its combustion releases a wealth of toxins and health destroying things, from mercury and cadmium, to radionucleides, to lung damaging particulates, to oxides of nitrogen, these last of which subsequently create ground level ozone and varying degrees of distress and ultimately early death to members of the human population.
5. Underground coal mining results in numerous deaths every decade, from immediately lethal mine explosions and collapses, to early deaths from lung damage.
6. Mountain top strip mining destroys forest and stream habitats, turning some of the most beautiful wilderness in the world into the equivalent of a garbage dump.
7. Coal ash dumps destroy many square miles of land each year through impoundment leaks and groundwater contamination.
8. Painting things that are scientifically sensible as “central planning”, “communism”, or “communist” is simply stupid, and helps to weaken America.
9. Donald Trump is a giga-loser and Putin lover.
10. People who cannot grasp the concept of “hidden costs” should limit their conversations to chats on idiot sites like Breitbart or Glenn Beck.
A look at the places b-squared has linked to as supporting “evidence” for his rants shows he considers breitbart and beck too liberal to be trusted. His sources touch on far more deluded people.
Tangentially:
https://www.juancole.com/2017/11/powered-scotland-renewable.html
Obstreperou, costs remain non-competitive and require a rather, large
subsidy.
Even with the ability to store excess production, may not be enough
to make green energy efficient.
Your average bird shredder cost $7 million dollars and still to this
day has higher costs associated with it than conventional power.
I have long supported solar and wind mills (bird shredders),
allowing for the exit off the grid. I have more hope for the
former but they shall always have impediments.
Unfortunately, the left does not rationalize economics and
thus, foolishly supports such projects because it expanies
their ever loving role of BIG GOVERNMENTAL UNITS, along
with fantasies.(Hollywood Syndrome)
It is the equivalent of asking an eunuch to appropriate.
Hear in Moaisota, 23% of all electric generation is nuclear.
As Tricking Dick once said – Nuke em; Nuke em.
My latest Wall Street IPO project is called – Hoodwink Energy.
I have already placed BBD and Dean on the Board of Directors;
as well as the Uranium Clintons, on a mineral steering committee.
BTW, look for Ms Rotham new book – Commodity Trading for Dummies,
available at all fine and unfine book stores! Her next feature publication
will be – I have fallen and can’t get up!
BBD says “You are a idiot.” I am GLADD my name does not
start with you.
8. Painting things that are scientifically sensible as King Coal is simply stupid, and helps to weaken America.
SteveP, I will agree with 4,5,6 and 7, in part. That said, I wonder why God (Buddha as well) left us with such an abundant source of this mineral?
Dean, I fully agree with your psychosis dat I am fully compliant
with your definition of idiot. Now, that we have established that I am
a dolt, you should moveon.org to more productive matters.
I do have a code of ethics, which precludes the use of lies. You are
quick to bear false witness and name calling, Dean.
This would indicate your subjective arguments have little or no
foundations; earmark of a Socshevik.
So in the future, try not to incorporate the words, rant; idiot; and
liar in our discussions. Rather than being so mean spirited, try being
more gentle and uplifting. (Uplifting a division of Lylt Incorporated)
I do realize, however, that this will be quite challenging; with Las
Vegas oddsmakers refusal to book bets.
Teh stupid more.
Howard Dean said ” A quick check of information shows Minnesota’s cost for electricity is currently 15.9% below national average. Not single digits.”
You are mining (sorry for using dat word, Dean) old data. Also, please
provide a link or two – for us idiots.
Thank you, Deano !
Sorry liar — you got caught fibbing. Too lazy to find facts yourself? Too stupid? Probably both.
Nope. Neither of us can be bothered arguing with a bellend like you. Waste of pixels.
Now bugger off and be incoherently tedious somewhere else.
BBD Said, “Teh stupid more.”
His Deanship Said, “Sorry liar — you got caught fibbing. Too lazy to find facts yourself? Too stupid? Probably both.”
Both of these individuals have the debating skills of a cadaver. More
could be gather from their state of rigormortis than from their
written words; altho Harvey Winestein would find them good
company.
The Board of Education, is planning a suit to recover their education
costs, in light of their buffoonery and inability to communication with
any common sense or dignity. (Common Core thuggery 101)
Howard Dean, was axed to support his arguments with evidence,
retorted only with insults and slurs. Is this a mental defect or
simply those whom have no rational logic or are indolent.
I do understand their anxieties, since the Leftist Movement is based solely
on emotion, rather than extrapolating points of facts.
They and their cohorts suffer from what I have diagnosed as the
LVV syndrome. Loud; Vulgar; and Violent – a most common trait
observed in early man.
It is quite clear that the subjects have a retarded cranial development
and require ongoing supervision and support.
They are pieces of a puzzle that were designed to never fit and
thus remain on the purlieu.
Dear readers, do not heap scorn upon these poor, lost souls, as
they do not know what they are doing nor the consequences. Instead,
we must pity them, as they are a subset of society: destined to
produce only modicum results.
“….a most common trait
observed in early man.”
Ummmm I would like some evidence of 2 of these attributes please. Im pretty sure evidence supports violence; at least in some regions, certainly towards animals, at some periods.
But loudness? Vulgarity? Thats a massive fucking claim.
Actually im not sure there is evidence of humans hunting animals say, a 1/2 million years ago. The evidence that i was thinking of is much more recent and in the realm of modern man.
There is – Boxgrove is ~500ka and I’m sure there’s older evidence from Africa. Greg’ll know.
“Both of these individuals have the debating skills of a cadaver.”
True ignorance on your part. The comment about you being stupid and dishonest was a statement of fact, not a debating point.
Thanks for Boxgrove link BBD.
http://www.johnrsweet.com/personal/wind/economics.html
Read and come out of the shadows.
You’d be much better off with this if you want to learn about the potential of renewable energy technologies. But you will actually have to do some work – as in read the whole of sections I and II, going over the bits you didn’t understand repeatedly until you do understand them. Then – and only then – you will have acquired a level of topic knowledge sufficient to argue the pros and cons of eg. onshore wind. But you won’t do the work; trolls never do. Spouting ignorant shite is just so much easier.
Article from 2005, really? And
bb, I realize that folks like you don’t like anyone that demonstrates knowledge about topics, since they tend to use big words you don’t understand, so there is only one thing to say:
You are an idiot.
That sentence should be one you can understand — short and to the point.
His Deanship said
“bb, I realize that folks like you don’t like anyone that demonstrates knowledge about topics, since they tend to use big words you don’t understand, so there is only one thing to say:
You are an idiot.
That sentence should be one you can understand — short and to the point.”
You keep demonstrating your ability to deconstruct rather than construct.
You are on parallel with the Berkeley Masked Anarchists. Your middle
name must be redundancy.
BBD says, ” But you won’t do the work; trolls never do. Spouting ignorant shite is just so much easier.”
Please to see the self-effacing, BBD!
Your link has merit as it offers different metics
and points of view.
The link has merit as it was written by a physicist who cared deeply that ‘the numbers add up’.
How come His Deanship and his consort BBD
have no reply button ???
Because you are too stupid to understand the way the commenting software threads. Look UP.
bill:
Each post has a reply button.
However, a reply doesn’t have a reply button.
In other words, replies are only one level deep.
It is difficult to see that replies are indented and I have had trouble seeing if something is a post or a reply under a post.
Hope that helps!
Readers, do Dean and BBD elevate this blog
or bring it into the gutter?
What, you mean compared to a rightwing ignoramus like you?
Tough question for the folks out there tonight!
You are apparently not intelligent enough to realize monitoring someone else’s blog isn’t your job.
Don’t like having it pointed out that you are completely clueless about the stuff you post over? Try overcoming your failed education and learn about the topics.
bill:
I would say that both BBD and dean are valuable members of this blog community.
However, they are often rude and call people names, which is unfortunate.
If you choose to stay and engage here you will just have to get used to it – because Greg doesn’t moderate name calling (which is his right).
bb, decent people don’t go to breitbart — only folks completely lacking in decency, honesty, integrity, and who pine for the comfort of their fellow racists visit that site.