Comments on: Sacramento unplugs Brown battery plan

By: Ted

Ted — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 17:53:54 +0000

Whoever wrote this headline– well done– move to the head of the class

By: vonborks

vonborks — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 19:20:07 +0000

Battery’s used On-the-Grid are only required to support Solar and Wind, the most expensive forms of electricity ranging from 20X to 50X the cost of electricity produced by natural gas, a clean and inexpensive commodity that California has in abundance. Battery’s, Solar and Wind are not technically, environmentally nor economically sustainable to support a reliable 24/7 Grid and all Grid managing engineers know that. Solar and Wind On-the-Grid was not a technical nor environmental recommendation, it was a 100% political decision. As Solar Panels and Windmills age and deteriorate (and they are aging at a quicker pace than the public is told) they will not be replaced; these zillions of solar panels, monster windmills and big battery banks will overload the few existing approved recycling centers and landfills. If you believe that the corporations that guaranteed lifetime support for these systems will still be around 20 years later to do the recycling you must also believe in the Tooth Fairy, the taxpayers will bear the costs and the cost in energy and dollars to dismantle, transport, recycle and safely contain underground these megatons of hazardous waste will equal or exceed the original manufacturing costs and in most instances the “clean” energy it was supposed to produce. Everyone in the “business” knows that very well but it is all about money, corporations are not churches or charities, they are in business to make money for their stockholders, as long as wasteful government subsidies prevail business will be involved. Solar, wind, battery projects and grants for papers proving all is just perfect will continue until the money runs out, it is what it is…

By: Tesla_x

Tesla_x — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:49:04 +0000

To amend the above, the subsidy can be as high as 60%, and this was the result of huge lobbying by battery interests.

The abuse of this program and incentives is causing huge misallocations of utility and energy infrastructure dollars which reduces spending in necessary areas of baseload generation, efficiency, grid upgrades to survive natural disasters, etc.

By: Tesla_x

Tesla_x — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:35:46 +0000

Download the statewide quarterly report to see battery vendors like tesla and solar city that are installing batteries and corralling millions in incentives originally meant for ‘generation’ projects.

https://energycenter.org/programs/self-generation-incentive-program/program-reports

The SGIP program is for efficiency and lowering ghg emissions, but storing and discharging grid power is less efficient because of power lost to ’round trip’ efficiencies, with a consequent rise in ghg emissions.

These systems cost the same or more than just installing a natural gas generator, and cannibalize truly renewable projects like generation of power and heat from wastewater biogas, which offers us alternate sources of emergency power to run a wastewater plant in an emergency for hours or days.

Batteries cannot do this and once the grid goes gown, and their charge is depleted, they are useless.

The entire battery push is simply being driven by the incentives, which amount to a ~40% subsidy.

If this subsidy were not available to a non-generating technology, this industry would not exist.