<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Their reasons aren’t all that unreasonable]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by sunflower http://www.grist.org/article/rps-as-viewed-from-the-states-of-the-old-confederacy/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:33:36 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/rps-as-viewed-from-the-states-of-the-old-confederacy/1 Politicians are not engineers

Last week I had a long conversation with our local public utility about RPS.  Turns out we get 85% hydro, 10% nuclear, about 4% from mix biomass sources, and less than 1% coal.  They could not make sense of 15% RPS.

Why not have the power utilities involved in displacing gas used for other applications, then use that gas to displace coal power?  The low hanging fruit is lying on the ground.

]]> Politicians are not engineers

Last week I had a long conversation with our local public utility about RPS.  Turns out we get 85% hydro, 10% nuclear, about 4% from mix biomass sources, and less than 1% coal.  They could not make sense of 15% RPS.

Why not have the power utilities involved in displacing gas used for other applications, then use that gas to displace coal power?  The low hanging fruit is lying on the ground.

]]> Comment #2 by Charles Barton http://www.grist.org/article/rps-as-viewed-from-the-states-of-the-old-confederacy/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:46:24 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/rps-as-viewed-from-the-states-of-the-old-confederacy/2 TVA and renewable energy

TVA long ago maxed out the hydroelectric potential of the Tennessee River Valley.  There are limited renewable energy resources in the Tennessee Valley.  The Valley along with the entire Southeastern United States, is very unsuited for Wind generated electricity.  The Tennessee Valley lacks geothermal resources.  TVA's Wind generating farm is located on Buffalo Mountain, one of the windiest spots in Tennessee.  During August, there is enough wind on Buffalo Mountain to generate electricity 7% of the time.  Some months there is more wind, but at most Buffalo Mountain generates electricity less than a quarter of the time.  This is by the way, tipical of the south east.  Solar may some day provide cheap electricity, but that day is not now.  TVA does generate 36 percent of its power from green sources, and plans to bring 3 new reactors online in the next 12 years, replacing more coal fired generating plants.  

So why beat up TVA simply because the Southeast lacks Renewable power generating resources?    

Charles Barton

]]> TVA and renewable energy

TVA long ago maxed out the hydroelectric potential of the Tennessee River Valley.  There are limited renewable energy resources in the Tennessee Valley.  The Valley along with the entire Southeastern United States, is very unsuited for Wind generated electricity.  The Tennessee Valley lacks geothermal resources.  TVA's Wind generating farm is located on Buffalo Mountain, one of the windiest spots in Tennessee.  During August, there is enough wind on Buffalo Mountain to generate electricity 7% of the time.  Some months there is more wind, but at most Buffalo Mountain generates electricity less than a quarter of the time.  This is by the way, tipical of the south east.  Solar may some day provide cheap electricity, but that day is not now.  TVA does generate 36 percent of its power from green sources, and plans to bring 3 new reactors online in the next 12 years, replacing more coal fired generating plants.  

So why beat up TVA simply because the Southeast lacks Renewable power generating resources?    

Charles Barton

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