Thursday Open Thread

12 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

1. Brain bleach me please.

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2. Utility Bills are Going to Skyrocket

   With no reduction in carbon and increased outages

   .

   

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   1. and in the short term: 

      Xcel peak-use rates set to spike electricity costs at some times for Colorado residential customers

      The new pricing means residential customers will pay the most for power during the “on-peak” hours of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. Currently, the peak rates stretch from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on those days.

      All other hours — the vast majority of any given year — are considered “off-peak,” so activities like running a dishwasher, using an electric stove or charging an electric vehicle will cost less during that time.

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      1. EV charging & dishwasher can go in off hours. But if you have kids, you're using the stove during peak hours to feed them. And for them to shower (hot water) and get ready for bed.

         And when it gets hot (air conditioning) or cold (heat pump) – that's the reason those are peak hours. Everyone is home from work & school and they want a livable temperature in the house.

         Not to mention, why do some people view it as an improvement that we have peak pricing? Everyone loved flat rate pricing that was inexpensive. Time of Use is something we unfortunately need to do at present. But it's a step backwards.

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         1. I love my 7cents per hour off-peak price. That's when I charge my EV.

            Also, since I have solar panels, higher electricity prices don't really impact me. In fact they make my initial solar panel install ammortize faster.

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            1. Yep, poor households are subsidizing you (and me).

               Anyways the big problem is not today. The problem grows as more and more households go electric for heat pump, stove/oven, & hot water.

               And if we're using CCGT for power generation (backup to wind & solar), we then burn more gas because it's gas => electricity => heat instead of gas => heat.

               This is what super annoys me about the Colorado (and many other states) energy plans – they aren't looking at the total system costs & emissions.

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               1. that's nothing new. Poorer households subsidize all of our utility and transportation infrastructure.

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               2.  "they aren't looking at the total system costs & emissions."

                  With all due respect, Dave, haven't I heard the same about your approach to nuclear power, from some of those in your ongoing nuclear debate?

                   

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                  1. There's always something more to add to consider the true full system for any power source. For nuclear the one most often brought up is the used fuel as we presently don't have a working solution.

                     Fair point but it's not that big of a problem:

                     1. All the really bad nuclear waste will fill 2 football fields 20' high. So not that much.
                     2. We have a solution at Yucca Mountain. We just need a president willing to use it.
                     3. There are reactors under development that will be fueled by the waste and when done, we'll have a very tiny amount of the really bad stuff. (Don't count on this until it is in production.)

                     Even taking this into account nuclear is a lot greener and uses a lot fewer resources than wind/solar + batteries.

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3. Nice university you've got that attracts students from around the world to live and learn and do business in your city and state and country, Harvard. It'd be a shame if something happened to that. Let's let the Noemster take it from there:

   In a letter to Harvard on Thursday, Noem said the school's sanction is “the unfortunate result of Harvard's failure to comply with simple reporting requirements.”

   Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus.

   “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said in a statement.

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   1. Hey, hey, hey — eveyone knows Baron's rejection has had absolutely nothing to do with T****'s maniacal Harvard fatwa!!  Just ask Karoline Leavitt . . .

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      1. I wouldn't ask Leavitt for the time of day at the exact moment the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

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