OT: USA & Canada Electricity costs.

There would be no renewable energy at all if they had to do that. Of course I entirely agree that would be perfectly fine

Mostly batteries are there to simulate the rotational inertia of a power station, Ni battery has more than a few minutes of full power in it.

As to 'clouds passing over' you have never been to Nevada then?

I've seen a little mist in the morning, but nary a cloud. Once a year it drops 12" of rain. And people drown.

They have done everything to avoid that, because they are hovering on the edge of viability even with the massive subsidies. The truth is renewable energy - at least in the UK - basically doesn't make any sense. Not as a low cost low carbon supplier of electricity. Hydro nuclear and a little gas is the ideal mix. But Siemens and the Kremlin had the EU in its pocket, and so the 'renewable obligation' was born....Never mind the cost,m never mind the actual carbon foot print, never mind the dead birds and loss of habitat....as long as you bought German windmills. And solar panels.

Yep. That is the problem with all renewables - even hydro - they tend to be a long way away from the demand.

More costs that are never mentioned.

People who simply do not know are 'led to believe'. And that disinformation is tacitly accepted by all and sundry.

Ah, you are in Canada - hydro + nuclear. Best mix of all.

Trying to get reliable low cost electricity to a nation is actually hard. on account of so many conflicts of interest...

Indeed. It makes a hell of a mess, but when its all over, it re-greens itself or becomes a nice lake.

I went down a coal mine. Once. Quite enough thank you.

Yuo. You dont want to know how many people die in the coal and gold mines of South Adrica.

It was getting closer. even in the 1960s, with coal cutters running along the face and conveyor belts behind, and letting the rock fall behind the face.

Some of the robots being developed for nuclear decommissioning will probably spill over into mining soon.

And Ukraine has really brought unmanned tech along a whole 40 years.

The purpose of the original grids was never bulk transfer of power, but more and exchange of temporary surpluses and deficits.

USA/Canada is too big to allow 60Hz synchronisation overall. Its split into zones IIRC and connected by HVDC links as appropriate

Then they should cover the Atacama desert in Northern Chile with PV panels. In Calama it hardly ever rains there.

The Atacama Desert is the world's driest nonpolar desert, with average rainfall often less than 15 mm (0.6 inches) per year, and some areas receiving only 1-3 mm (0.04-0.12 inches) annually, with some weather stations never recording rain, and periods of centuries without significant precipitation. This extreme dryness, particularly in central areas, is due to a combination of the cold Humboldt Current, a rain-shadow effect from the Andes, and high-pressure systems, creating hyperarid conditions. >>

Err, don't they just blast the mountain tops off with massive amounts of explosive ?

It's the name of a UK FTSE100 company that used to be known as the Central Electricity Generating Board before privatisation.

Now the generators are all privately owned, and National Grid PLC runs the distribution network (amongst other tasks).

By getting a stake in the USA it has probably avoided being re-nationalised. Too many (mostly) Labour supporters would like it to be.

Pretty much yes. :-)

Yes, and there is some merit to that, It is a natural monopoly and needs gummint regulation at the very least.

And in the end a heavily regulated utility that has its profits limited is hardly different from a nationalised company.

The problem is that once nationalised Miliband would f*ck it up beyond all recognition.

When has Ireland been exporting substantial amounts of electricity?