Comments on: Smart Grid vs. Renewable Energy: Where Should We Invest? http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/06/15/smart-grid-vs-renewable-energy-where-should-we-invest/ Patriotism that loves our country, our land, and our planet Wed, 23 May 2012 01:08:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Charles R. Toca http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/06/15/smart-grid-vs-renewable-energy-where-should-we-invest/comment-page-1/#comment-58924 Charles R. Toca Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:43:05 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=3253#comment-58924 Re. "Why haven’t the utility companies already implemented smart grid technologies using their own profits?" The answer's a bit more complicated. Most utilities are monopolies controlled by regulators, municipalities, or cooperatives - they aren't risk takers. They must get approval before they can invest in infrastructure or they won't receive cost recovery. No cost recovery = money lost = unhappy shareholders. You would think the least "greedy" utilities would be the ones owned directly by customers - the rural electric cooperatives. However, those co-ops are the last to embrace renewables, opting for coal fired plants instead, because they're cheaper and more reliable. This is really a political issue. If the people want it and are willing to pay the additional cost, they it will happen. That's the direction now. My business is energy storage. Storage is necessary to the integration of intermittent renewables - one of the additional costs. Re. "Why haven’t the utility companies already implemented smart grid technologies using their own profits?"

The answer's a bit more complicated. Most utilities are monopolies controlled by regulators, municipalities, or cooperatives – they aren't risk takers. They must get approval before they can invest in infrastructure or they won't receive cost recovery. No cost recovery = money lost = unhappy shareholders. You would think the least "greedy" utilities would be the ones owned directly by customers – the rural electric cooperatives. However, those co-ops are the last to embrace renewables, opting for coal fired plants instead, because they're cheaper and more reliable.

This is really a political issue. If the people want it and are willing to pay the additional cost, they it will happen. That's the direction now.

My business is energy storage. Storage is necessary to the integration of intermittent renewables – one of the additional costs.

]]> By: David - green though http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/06/15/smart-grid-vs-renewable-energy-where-should-we-invest/comment-page-1/#comment-58086 David - green though Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:43:43 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=3253#comment-58086 Hi, Jennifer. Hopefully some good system analysts have been looking into this, as far as which will work best. It is likely ALL of the above will be happening as fossil fuel costs continue to rise (which I believe they will do dramatically in the next five years). The human community, like other animal communities, tends to use different approaches to solve each problem, and with something as complex as the energy/environment vortex, there will be many answers tried. Hi, Jennifer. Hopefully some good system analysts have been looking into this, as far as which will work best. It is likely ALL of the above will be happening as fossil fuel costs continue to rise (which I believe they will do dramatically in the next five years). The human community, like other animal communities, tends to use different approaches to solve each problem, and with something as complex as the energy/environment vortex, there will be many answers tried.

]]> By: Fabian http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/06/15/smart-grid-vs-renewable-energy-where-should-we-invest/comment-page-1/#comment-57973 Fabian Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:26:38 +0000 http://redgreenandblue.org/?p=3253#comment-57973 It is very important to start to invest about green energy or renewable energy as a preventive way to help the future generations and help ourselves, this is the time to work together to apply the green technologies because tomorrow could be to late. It is very important to start to invest about green energy or renewable energy as a preventive way to help the future generations and help ourselves, this is the time to work together to apply the green technologies because tomorrow could be to late.

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