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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion

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To: JeffA who wrote (29)9/5/2006 4:44:33 PM
From: cirrus  Read Replies (1) of 10087
 
I'd hesitate to say "never".

As independent generation becomes more common and economical the power grid will evolve to the benefit both the utility power producer and independent local producer.

Already we've seen utilities offering incentives to use power at off peak times, use energy efficient machinery and conserve in other ways as alternative to building new plants and transmission facilities. The cost of building and fueling large generating plants and transmission networks is increasing - and no one wants a big generating plant or transmission tower next door - while the cost of independent generation in the form of wind, solar and fuel cells is declining. Solar, especially, is falling rapidly.

I doubt the grid will go away in our lifetime, but I think we'll see independent, local power production increase to meet more of our needs.

At some point the grid may become obsolete. Look at cellular phone service. People in developing nations are finding it more economical to build a cell tower and use cell phones rather than build out a land based phone network. In a hundred years the same be be true for electric power distribution.

Well, all I am trying to say is we need both, until independent generation is proven or unproven. It will never be as economical as buying from a Utility. The economies of scale cannot be compared.
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