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Regional energy solutions combine sun, wind, nuclear
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Magnu-@aol.com
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Aug 26, 2009 13:00 PDT
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_http://email.electronicnews.com/cgi-bin2/DM/y/jBIyo0Ejcdd0WZi0D7Pi0EQ&rid=8
615080_
(http://email.electronicnews.com/cgi-bin2/DM/y/jBIyo0Ejcdd0WZi0D7Pi0EQ&rid=8615080)
_Rick Nelson_ (http://www.tmworld.com/blogger/1483.html)
Regional energy solutions combine sun, wind, nuclear
August 26, 2009 Writing in the _Washington Post_
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/24/AR2009082402493.html) , David Crane
proposes for the US regional solutions to renewable energy generation. And
the _Wall Street Journal_
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125124404769158793.html) today emphasizes the need for some solutions with a front-page
article on the escalating costs of electricity in southern Texas due to the
relentless heat wave.
Writes the Journal, "Record-breaking heat in parts of Texas is causing
electricity bills to soar, just when most consumers were expecting some relief
from sinking natural-gas prices.
"The protracted heat wave—Austin on Monday recorded its 64th day of
100-plus degree weather since June 1—has pushed electricity demand up to record
levels, as air conditioners run overtime."
According to Crane's article in the Post, he would augment Texas'
electricity-generation capacity with nuclear power as part of his regional
approaches, designed to minimize distribution costs. Crane, president and chief
executive of _NRG Energy_ (http://www.nrgenergy.com/) , a wholesale power
producer, writes that his solution "…would start with technologies that are
ready for large-scale deployment but are concentrated on regions where they
can be demonstrated and deployed at scale to their best advantage."
California will be powered by the sun, the Midwest by wind, and the South (including
Texas) by nuclear. (Crane's firm owns and operates wind and nuclear
generation facilities and is developing solar power, the Post notes.)
As for the Northeast, we'll get to drive electric cars, because our cities
are close enough together, Crane notes, inadvertently countering Post
columnist Robert J. Samuelson's criticism of trains, which I _commented_
(http://www.tmworld.com/blog/640000064/post/1710048171.html) on earlier.
(Commenter "Statistics" sarcastically noted, in response to Samuelson's contention
that the US lacks the population density for train travel, "Right, because
quoting population densities for the whole of the US clearly is meaningful
when talking about train services in the large urbanized areas.")
Crane doesn't say where the electricity to power Northeasterners' electric
cars should come from. Certainly, it won't be practical to drive to one of
the other regions and plug into its solar, wind, or nuclear power sources.
Crane does advocate developing clean coal as a national priority.
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