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Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (51337)	5/13/2014 3:00:00 PM
From: Eric	Respond to of 86356

As you and I know today.. The strength in the future grid will be distributed generation. Much, much more robust than "centralized" generation. Local backup at the neighborhood level. Or even the single house.. The 120 year old grid "model" is a dinosaur.. JMHO Eric

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (51337)	5/13/2014 3:18:50 PM
From: Eric	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86356

I don't rely on the grid; the grid relies on me. At the moment, I'm all that stands between PG&E and rolling brownouts in NorCal. It's tragic that they don't understand the massive shift that is occurring in electrical generation. The "grid" as we know it today won't exist in less than thirty years from now. Shall I say... Next.... Eric

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (51337)	5/13/2014 3:29:40 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86356

the grid relies on me Not really. It's not just the obvious point that any electricity you send to the grid would be an insignificant point of the total electricity that passes through the grid, but its also that the net metering is a detriment to the electric company not something positive for it. Imagine how your grocery store would like if they had to pay you full retail price for any packaged food you brought to them. Its similar with electric companies. Not quite as bad, because their margins are larger (so they are better able to absorb the bit of loss you cause them), and their product is less differentiated, but still it's likely that the electricity supply you send them is rarely worth to them what they have to pay for it. So they are effectively forced to subside you. Your electricity is sent to them whenever you have a surplus, not when they need it. If they need some electricity they can't count on getting it from you, if you have it they have to pay for it even if there is no need for it. When it might be useless to them and basically worthless. (I don't specifically know that this is true for you, I'm going by the general net metering idea).