1366 replies to this topic

[LJ]

As Bellevue-based TerraPower seeks to revive nuclear energy, the company is facing questions from employees over the ties between its founder and accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

 

If the employees don't like the behaviour of the company's founders, tell them to move along to somewhere better suited to their sensitivities.

[Mike K.]

Cracks are showing in Alberta where alternative energy production is no longer looked at favourably by the government.

In short, alternative energy providers want more government transmission infrastructure to get their power to market. The province says not so fast, your power isn’t reliable enough for us to invest in more infrastructure for you.

Smith government has prided itself on creating an investor-friendly climate in Alberta, and slashing regulation that it derides as “red tape.”

But it has faced repeated criticism from the renewable sector for doing the opposite: applying regulations that have deterred development of new wind and solar installations. Renewable energy advocates say they’re a low-cost, low-carbon power source, but Premier Danielle Smith and her government have criticized them as intermittent and less reliable than other generation types like natural gas.

- https://www.cbc.ca/n...-408m-9.7128473

[dasmo]

Not low cost. Deferred cost. At an industrial scale they become a blight on the landscape as much as any other energy source. The manufacturing and subsequent recycling or disposal of the machinery is also a hidden cost yet to be determined. Solar should be distributed and be an on site power source, especially here. Same with wind. It’s their biggest benefit.

[max.bravo]

Solar and wind energy is by definition intermittent, and that's not a criticism- it's the technical term. It is also less reliable, yes. 

[dasmo]

Solar and wind energy is by definition intermittent, and that's not a criticism- it's the technical term. It is also less reliable, yes. 

Completely. This is also why it is best for on site power augmentation. If I hade the spare cash I would set myself up with solar with no fantasy that it would save me money. I just like the idea of independent power. It's the batteries that are the killer and for independent power you need them. Hydro is still relatively affordable especially when it comes to service and reliability. This last windstorm had me call them at 2:30 AM and have someone answer and put the power loss in the system. No one had reported it I guess just like I hadn't. It was back on by 12:00 the next day. If a windstorm smashes my solar array That's $5k out of my pocket. 

Hydro is truly the best. At least it makes a large lake which is also habitat and not a visual blight. It is a great natural battery. 

[Mike K.]

We are very fortunate, indeed.

BC’s energy is made up of about 1/3 hydro, I believe. Natural gas is used to make electricity in some areas of BC.

Our biggest challenge in Victoria is we need the power most when there are rarely enough sunny hours in a month to generate it. October-March we have primarily cloudy days. In Alberta, sunny days are the standard.

To power a heat pump you’ll need about a dozen panels. Then another dozen to power the rest of the demand. It’s a very expensive pursuit.

[Mike K.]

The big alternative energy producers jumped on a bandwagon and took advantage of an opportunity that I wouldn’t be surprised they had some hand in drafting. Now that the results speak for themselves, the government dollars are drying up and the investors are upset.

If all of this was as promised, we would be holding up Alberta as an example for the world by now, with some of the alternative power generation in Alberta approaching its 35th anniversary. The fact the government is starting to show frustration is very telling.

How’s the alternative energy program going in Ontario? Their hydro rates have skyrocketed.

[Victoria Watcher]

BC’s energy is made up of about 1/3 hydro, I believe. Natural gas is used to make electricity in some areas of BC.

 

Oh, it's much higher than 1/3.  If you mean "electricity", not energy.

 

Robot:

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 March 2026 - 08:16 AM.

[Mike K.]

I didn’t say electricity, I said energy.

I’ll have to dig up my notes from an energy industry meeting I attended last year.

Don’t forget about gasoline and diesel, and natural gas.

[Victoria Watcher]

OK, well I bet it's under 20% then.  All ENERGY.

 

Electricity is under 20%, from all sources.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 March 2026 - 08:33 AM.

[Mike K.]

BC Hydro is around 20%, yes. Maybe mid-20s. Most people, if asked, assume BC Hydro provides around two thirds or three quarters of BC’s energy needs. We are ignorant of how dependent we are on the fossil fuel industry.

[LJ]

BC Hydro has advised our neighbourhood that we are scheduled for a 6-hour power shutdown on March 24th. I guess this would be a good situation to have a local solar array and Powerwall of some sort. 

 

What would the costs be to provide adequate power for the day to the average household utilizing solar and battery?

 

I have a standby generator that will provide 14 kW to power most of the house and it has worked flawlessly so far.

[Mike K.]

Might be more economical to just head down to the Westin for a night.

[Matt R.]

Why would you need to go anywhere due to a 6 hour power outage.

[Victoria Watcher]

https://www.amazon.c...T1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 

 

To me, than's a no-brainer to always have around home and charged, and on long car road trips.

 

https://www.amazon.c...F9kZXRhaWw&th=1

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 March 2026 - 12:14 AM.

[Mike K.]

Is there fire risk with units like that?

[Victoria Watcher]

Haven't they all but solved thermal runaway fires?

 

I think it's only when the battery pack is physically damaged or altered that it becomes a risk.

[Mike K.]

Battery powered devices are notorious for sudden combustion. One just caused a massive blaze in Glasgow. And a couple of weeks back a scooter caught fire at a Victoria housing facility.

I think there’s some ways yet before the threat is no longer there.

[Victoria Watcher]

Battery powered devices are notorious for sudden combustion. One just caused a massive blaze in Glasgow.

 

But there are billions of devices in use.

 

YOU hear about the Glasgow case because of how rare it is.

 

Meanwhile, there were 30 house fires in Canada just yesterday, including 10 that started by bad cooking.  Should we ban stoves and candles?

 

[Mike K.]

Not all devices are created equal. What is the quality control process at Konfulon? I know it’s good at Apple, and Samsung. But Konfulon?

It’s the passive nature of these fires that scares me. The devices light up with no warning.