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Old 07-01-2013, 05:01 PM   #6 (permalink)
ConnClark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UFO View Post
It's a step in the right direction. By converting to the grid, we gain a tremendous efficiency. Turbine generation of electricity on large scales is at least 60% to 70% more efficient than motorized ICEs. And the grid allows us to add in renewable sources as they become available, like wind, hydro and solar.
As of 2009 hydro only supplied about 6.9% of the US electrical generating capacity (and that percentage is dropping). All other renewables (Wind, Solar, Geothermal, etc..) composed about 3.6% . Nuclear power supplies about 20% of US needs. When you consider there are no more rivers that can be dammed, people oppose nuke, the fact that wind and solar aren't consistent and cost a lot, and by 2027 we will only have a fusion reactor that will run for 1000 seconds at a time, there isn't anyway we are going to ween ourselves from fossil fuel energy production anytime soon .
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