Comment on U.S. solar will pass wind in 2025 and leave coal in the dust soon after

frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

That’s actually a problem.

All realistic plans for 100% renewable (or even 95% renewable, which is substantially easier) rely on a multipronged approach of wind, water, solar, and grid upgrades. Each one has upsides and downsides, but you can use the upsides of one to cover the downsides of another. Combined, you get a reliable grid based on intermittent but cheap sources.

Capitalism sees this plan and decides to deploy the one with the best immediate ROI. Which happens to be solar. Problem is that you can’t just rely on solar. The grid is hitting limits where electrical production is sending prices to basically zero at certain times, but not able to provide enough the rest of the time. That will shift the economic incentives. Eventually.

It’ll figure out what researchers have already written down, but it’ll take too long to get there.

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