[CAnet - news] The dirty secret of renewable energy - transmission line capacity
"Bill St. Arnaud" <[email protected]> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:05:53 -0400
| Newsgroups | gmane.culture.publications.news |
|---|---|
| Organization | CANARIE Inc |
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
This is a multipart message in MIME format. --===============1877539265== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00EA_01C9084E.04FAB3E0" Content-Language: en-us This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00EA_01C9084E.04FAB3E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For more information on this item please visit my blog at http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/ or http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com ------------------------------------------- [The Internet and ICT industries have a big advantage over other sectors of society in terms of using renewable energy. There is no reason why computers, databases, cyber-infrastructure needs to be located in cities where it is difficult to access renewable power. Instead of bringing power to the computers, why not move the computers to the source of power and connect them with optical networks? Optical networks are a lot cheaper to deploy than electrical transmission lines and far less disruptive to the environment. Besides building out the necessary transmission line capacity to support the various renewable energy sites will take decades. The other big advantage of relocating ICT to renewable energy sites is the low cost and long term certainty of the price of power at these sites and independence from electrical grid operators and their usurious "wheeling" charges. The electrical utility industry makes the telephone companies look like paragons of entrepreneurialism in comparison. The Internet and ICT industry is also virtually the only industry sector that can tolerate unreliable and intermittent energy that is common with many renewable sources. From its very initial design, the Internet has in place the routing protocols to allow quick re-routing of traffic and data in the event of network outages, whether its from an apocryphal nuclear war or intermittent renewable energy. If the Internet and ICT consume anywhere from 2-6% of the nation's energy relocating this industry to renewable energy sites will go a long way to achieving energy independent. Excerpts from NY Time - BSA] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/business/27grid.html Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid's Limits When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing. That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/al_gore/index. html?inline=nyt-per> 's hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands. The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not. The grid today, according to experts, is a system conceived 100 years ago to let utilities prop each other up, reducing blackouts and sharing power in small regions. It resembles a network of streets, avenues and country roads. Achieving that would require moving large amounts of power over long distances, from the windy, lightly populated plains in the middle of the country to the coasts where many people live. Builders are also contemplating immense solar-power stations in the nation's deserts that would pose the same transmission problems. "The windiest sites have not been built, because there is no way to move that electricity from there to the load centers," he said. ------------------------------------- To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to [email protected] These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the CANARIE board or management. ------ [email protected] [email protected] http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/ ------ [email protected] [email protected] http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/ ------=_NextPart_000_00EA_01C9084E.04FAB3E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:x=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" = xmlns:p=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" = xmlns:a=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" = xmlns:dt=3D"uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" = xmlns:s=3D"uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" = xmlns:rs=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" xmlns:z=3D"#RowsetSchema" = xmlns:b=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" = xmlns:ss=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" = xmlns:c=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" = xmlns:oa=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" = xmlns:html=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" = xmlns:q=3D"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:D=3D"DAV:" = xmlns:x2=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" = xmlns:ois=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" = xmlns:dir=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" = xmlns:ds=3D"http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" = xmlns:dsp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" = xmlns:udc=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" = xmlns:xsd=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" = xmlns:sub=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/"= xmlns:ec=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" = xmlns:sp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" = xmlns:sps=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" = xmlns:xsi=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" = xmlns:udcxf=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" = xmlns:wf=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" = xmlns:mver=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006= " xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" = xmlns:mrels=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationshi= ps" = xmlns:ex12t=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types"= = xmlns:ex12m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messag= es" xmlns:Z=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:st=3D"" = xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dus-ascii"> <meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Consolas; panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} h1 {mso-style-priority:9; mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char"; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; font-size:24.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; font-weight:bold;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:10.5pt; font-family:Consolas;} p {mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:windowtext;} span.Heading1Char {mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char"; mso-style-priority:9; mso-style-link:"Heading 1"; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; font-weight:bold;} span.PlainTextChar {mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Plain Text"; font-family:Consolas;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" /> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit"> <o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" /> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </head> <body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple> <div class=3DSection1> <p class=3DMsoPlainText>For more information on this item please visit = my blog at <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><a = href=3D"http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/">http://green-broadband.blog= spot.com/</a> or <a = href=3D"http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com">http://billstarnaud.blogspot.co= m</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p = class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------------<o:p></o:= p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal> [The Internet and ICT industries have a big = advantage over other sectors of society in terms of using renewable energy. = There is no reason why computers, databases, cyber-infrastructure needs to be = located in cities where it is difficult to access renewable power. Instead = of bringing power to the computers, why not move the computers to the = source of power and connect them with optical networks? Optical networks are a lot cheaper to deploy than electrical transmission lines and far less = disruptive to the environment. Besides building out the necessary transmission = line capacity to support the various renewable energy sites will take = decades. The other big advantage of relocating ICT to renewable energy sites is = the low cost and long term certainty of the price of power at these sites and independence from electrical grid operators and their usurious = “wheeling” charges. The electrical utility industry makes the telephone companies = look like paragons of entrepreneurialism in comparison. The Internet and ICT industry is also virtually the only industry sector that can = tolerate unreliable and intermittent energy that is common with many renewable sources. From its very initial design, the Internet has in = place the routing protocols to allow quick re-routing of traffic and data in = the event of network outages, whether its from an apocryphal nuclear = war or intermittent renewable energy. If the Internet and ICT consume = anywhere from 2-6% of the nation’s energy relocating this industry to = renewable energy sites will go a long way to achieving energy independent. = Excerpts from NY Time – BSA]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/business/27grid.html">http://ww= w.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/business/27grid.html</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <h1>Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits <o:p></o:p></h1> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p>When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to = put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid = for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been = so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a = brisk wind blowing.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like <a href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/al_g= ore/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per" title=3D"More articles about Al Gore.">Al Gore</a>’s hope of = replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power = grid that cannot handle the new demands.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is = getting easier, moving it to market is not.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>The grid today, according to experts, is a system conceived 100 years = ago to let utilities prop each other up, reducing blackouts and sharing power = in small regions. It resembles a network of streets, avenues and country roads. = <o:p></o:p></p> <p>Achieving that would require moving large amounts of power over long distances, from the windy, lightly populated plains in the middle of the country to the coasts where many people live. Builders are also = contemplating immense solar-power stations in the nation’s deserts that would = pose the same transmission problems.<o:p></o:p></p> <p> “The windiest sites have not been built, because there is = no way to move that electricity from there to the load centers,” he = said.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p = class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>= <p class=3DMsoPlainText>To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o= :p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText>These news items and comments are mine alone and = do not necessarily reflect those of the CANARIE board or = management.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>------<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o:p= ></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a = href=3D"http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/">http://billstarnaud.blogspot.c= om/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>------<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> </body> </html> ------=_NextPart_000_00EA_01C9084E.04FAB3E0-- --===============1877539265== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ news mailing list [email protected] http://lists.canarie.ca/mailman/listinfo/news --===============1877539265==--