A few years ago, California suffered a series of rolling blackouts across the entire state, redundancy notwithstanding. It ultimately led to the governor being recalled.

 

It sounds like they don't have enough redundancy to avoid an occasional blackout, but, it would require more power plants and transmission lines than currently exist. No one is willing to pay the extra cost at this point.

 

Wow. Awesome.

I'm not trying to suggest one thing one way or the other, but as far as the nuclear energy goes, consider this:

Your primary concerns revolve around waste disposal, or the occasional accident (Chernobyl, 3 mile island... etc) and so vehemently oppose nuclear plants in your area or at all.

However

At any given time these countries: USA, China, Russia, France, England.. well you get the picture has at least one per country, but knowing the military there are certainly more, nuclear submarine patrolling their coastlines and international waters at all times.

Within each of these Subs is a nuclear reactor that allows for underwater stays of 3 to 6 months, powering the sub across the globe, Surfacing only for restocks of foods and the like.

A Plant is monitored, fixed, and stable where as a military submarine is mobile, relies on navigational equipment to steer, and is of course.. military, which makes it a target.

So... just an idle query but, how many nuclear subs have.. due to some malfunction or another, come a a quiet resting place on the bottom of the ocean.?

Here's some things you may have noticed kind of:

Seeing as how electricity is the primary power source of all things, copper may become as precious as say.. gold.

anyway

 

I doubt this list is complete but here a quick look at the number of nuclear weapons, subs and other vessels just the US and USSR have lost.

http://www.n-base.org.uk/public/report_links/air_sea_accidents.html

 

The electric power industry uses more aluminum cable now than copper. Copper has been on the way out due to its higher cost and weight.

 

That's weird because I remember back in the 1970's when they were recalling mobile homes because the aluminum wiring they had was a fire hazard.

 

I'm talking about transmission cables. They are made out of stranded aluminum.

 

Needs moar Dyson Sphere.

 

I mispoke again, I meant multiconductor, not stranded.

 

I see no one mentioned solar furnaces similar to what was in Sahara the movie, and which actually exists in the desert in California near Yermo.

They use MIRRORS concentrated on BOILERS and are much more efficient than solar panels.

 

There was a scientist who used to be in Jimmy Carter's administration that said if we put solar power panels over all the shopping mall parking lots, a lot of electricity could be generated.

 

Modern photovoltaic cells have similar efficiencies. The big advantage of solar thermal is the low price, at least for larger installations.

For southern USA solar thermal is the best way to convert solar energy into electricity. But it doesn't work well in northern latitudes, like middle Europe. There you need photovoltaic cells, which are still expensive.

 

You hit the nails on the heads, Kimiko, and I used plurals deliberately. There likely won't be some panacea solution--it will take a cluster if good ideas and good technologies working together.

Your intensive conservation comment is one I have always resonated with, particularly on a personal level as a consumer.

We in the West, particularly those of us in a certain country between Canada and Mexico, have got to realize how profligate our use electricity is.

 

It's so obvious, isn't it? Just by designing houses better and retrofitting existing ones, I'll bet we could cut heating and A/C energy consumption in half everywhere in the U.S.

 

I'm supprised nobody has looked into Nicola Tesla's way of powering the earth.
He was the man who invented AC power.

 

Telsa coils....do they have a practical application? Or did you mean something else?

I'm interested in vacuum power. Check it oot on Wikipedia. So surprising, no one in the fossil fuel industry is trying to develop it </sarcasm>

 

CK2 , have a look on Wiki and you tube.
There is some really interesting sites on the coils.
I have a client over here in Aus that is experimenting with coil generators that once in motion, are self sustaining and produce 5kw of power.
Enough to power a house and it is about the same size as a bar fridge.