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19303 |
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Date: November 17, 2024 at 15:26:12
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as US Falls |
URL: https://www.juancole.com/2024/11/largest-offshore-facility.html |
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China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as U.S. Falls Farther
Behind
JUAN COLE
11/15/2024
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Solar panels are great sources of energy. We
have them on our roof and they have saved us a lot of money, especially in
spring-summer-fall. Some observers complain about their bulk compared to the
energy they put out, though. I’ve had engineers argue to me that there just isn’t
space for all the solar panels that would be needed to green the American energy
grid.
Since I study the Middle East, I’ve had to learn about energy markets and security.
One time about a decade ago I was doing some energy consulting with the
Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Japan had had to deal
with the closure of many of its nuclear plants after the Fukishima disaster by
importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the Middle East. They were nervous
about the security of the region, though. I told my Japanese colleagues that they
would be better off going in for wind and solar. One replied that Japan had very
little land available for solar farms. I don’t know how sincere this reply was. I think
those bureaucrats were just wedded to nuclear power. In fact, Japan now has
over 87 gigawatts of solar power. It has been adding about 6 gigs of solar a year
recently.
One solution to this problem that is increasingly being tried out is agrovoltaics,
putting solar panels on farms but in such a way that they help crops grow. So far
in the US, most agrovoltaic set-ups are for sheep raising, since grass can grow
under the panels. In fact, the panels help the grass thrive in hot, sunny
environments by providing shade and allowing retention of moisture, which is
also good for “tomatoes, turnips, carrots, squash, beets, lettuce, kale, chard, and
peppers.”
Solar panels are rapidly becoming more efficient, which will allow this form of
energy to produce electricity while taking up less space.
In the meantime, another possible solution is to put the solar panels on floating
platforms. Japan has put them on lakes, for instance.
The panel arrays can also be placed offshore. Fish and other marine life like
structures such as the steel truss platform piling used for China’s offshore solar
farms. It gives them places to hide from predators, e.g.
China is the most advanced solar society in the
world with over 600 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, which saves the
country billions of dollars a year over paying for imported fossil gas. The US is in
comparison backward, only having about 130 GW of solar.
It is therefore no surprise that Beijing has, as Aman Tripathi reports, just
connected to high capacity transmission wires the world’s large offshore solar
plant off the coast of Shandong Province, a 1-gigawatt facility. The facility also
does fish farming.
The nearly 3,000 photovoltaic platforms are attached to fixed pilings in the sea
floor and are spread over an area of some 4 square miles. It will generate enough
power to provide electricity to 2.6 million people.
And this installation is only the beginning. China is aiming to have 60 gigawatts
of offshore solar in only 3 years from now — an incredible build-out if it happens.
China also already has 61 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity.
Wind, water, solar and battery are clearly the way forward on meeting the world’s
power needs while avoiding massive carbon pollution. Solar plus battery in my
view has the greatest potential over the medium to long term. The issue of where
to put the PV panels is not in my view a very serious problem. If there is a will to
use them to cut carbon dioxide production, as there is in China, then places will
be found to put them — as China is demonstrating.
And by the way, if the US government under the incoming Trump administration
puts roadblocks in the way of solar power, it will just accelerate American decline
and help propel China further toward great power status. The future is solar
panels and electric vehicles, and China is already eating our lunch on those two. If
that goes on for a while, we’ll be poor, breathing dirty air, and paying trillions for
climate catastrophes, while China replaces us as the world’s leading superpower.
—-
Bonus video added by Informed Comment:
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Responses:
[19308] [19304] [19306] [19307] [19305] |
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19308 |
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Date: November 18, 2024 at 08:53:36
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as US... |
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yes, we need MORE renewable not less.
That's probably not going to happen in the next 4 yrs,
though due to the Orange guy's love of big oil money and
his hate of renewable energy.
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19304 |
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Date: November 17, 2024 at 15:39:28
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as US... |
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and the rumpster is going to shut down ocean wind power generation...things certainly won't be better in his term...he is the king of fossil fuel energy...
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Responses:
[19306] [19307] [19305] |
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19306 |
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Date: November 18, 2024 at 01:38:02
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as... |
URL: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-harris-is-promoting-domestic-oil-drilling-at-the-same-time-as-clean-energy-jobs |
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Let’s not pretend.
“WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as she promoted her efforts to boost clean energy,
Vice President Kamala Harris said in Tuesday’s debate that the Biden-Harris
administration has overseen “the largest increase in domestic oil production
in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely
on foreign oil.″
The comment by Harris, a longtime climate hawk who backed the original Green
New Deal, surprised supporters and opponents alike — and conflicted with
frequent boasts by Harris and President Joe Biden that they are champions in the
fight to slow global warming.”
Further down:
“The statement was “another sign of Harris’ sprint to the middle″ on energy policy
and other issues, said Donovan, who works with energy industry clients at the
Bracewell law and lobbying firm.
Harris went one step further, rebranding the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act —
the administration’s signature climate law — as a boon to fracking and other
drilling, thanks to lease-sale requirements inserted into the bill by
independent West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a key swing vote in the Senate and
a strong supporter of the fossil fuel industry.”
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19307 |
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Date: November 18, 2024 at 01:43:42
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: some good news |
URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2024/11/06/how-trumps-victory-will-impact-the-energy-sector/ |
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"Private businesses are likely to continue investing in clean energy technologies.
Many states are also expected to maintain their own clean energy initiatives,
regardless of federal policy shifts. Over the past decade – even during Trump’s
previous term – there was significant growth in the renewable sector due to
private investments. But there will likely be drops in federal spending."
While China soars ahead of the US in just about every possible way.
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19305 |
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Date: November 17, 2024 at 20:28:43
From: mitra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: China opens World’s Largest offshore Solar Power Facility, as... |
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Yes, he's tying us up one way with solar and handing
the Donbas over to Russia/China which will tie us up in
the other way.
To compensate he'll destroy the national parks in
patriotic fervor. Not for us to process, but to sell
to foreign interests.
What a king.
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