
The key to tackling climate change: electrify everything - jseliger
https://www.vox.com/2016/9/19/12938086/electrify-everything
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technicalbard
Electrification will only reduce CO2 emissions if the power SOURCES are also
carbon free. Since wind and solar are still a VERY small amount of the grid,
and are very expensive without subsidies, the only real alternative is nuclear
reactors. Lots of them.

~~~
fishcolorbrick
1.) In the US, all energy is subsidized by the federal government, including
nuclear. Oil is the most highly subsidized, nuclear is one of the lowest, but
solar, wind, and geothermal are even lower. The number quoted for 'renewable
energy' subsidies is about equal with the nuclear subsidies, but per page 23
in [0] this includes:

 _Alcohol Fuel Credit Tax Policy of 1984

Renewable Transportation Fuels and Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit Tax
Policy of 2006_

Ethanol subsidies which do not benefit solar and wind.

[0]: [http://www.misi-net.com/publications/NEI-1011.pdf](http://www.misi-
net.com/publications/NEI-1011.pdf)

2.) Burning petroleum in your car is less efficient than burning petroleum in
a commercial power plant and using the power plant's output to perform
mechanical work. To find the efficiency of a power plant, you divide the
operating heat rate in BTUs by the BTUs in 1 kWh (3412) - so, the average
petroleum plant at 10687 is 31.9% efficient (the remainder is waste heat). One
gallon of gasoline = 116,090 BTUs [2], so a perfectly efficient gasoline ICE
would get 34 kWh per gallon, but the EPA uses a metric of 33.7 kWh per gallon,
so I will too [3]. Per the same source, the Nissan Leaf gets 99 MPGe - or, it
takes it .34 kWh to travel one mile.

[1]:
[https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_08_01.html](https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_08_01.html)

[2]:
[https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm/index.cfm?page...](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm/index.cfm?page=about_btu)

[3]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_per_gallon_gasoline_equi...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_per_gallon_gasoline_equivalent#Conversion_to_MPGe)

~~~
woodandsteel
> Oil is the most highly subsidized, nuclear is one of the lowest, but solar,
> wind, and geothermal are even lower.

Really? How much would nuclear cost if it had to pay for insurance for the
full possible cost of a nuclear accident?

~~~
fishcolorbrick
I don't know, cost of disaster recovery isn't in the analyses I've read. For
nuclear power the failure modes for different fuels and generations is
different, so any analysis would need to take that into account. If you find
something would you please post it?

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aurizon
Yes, I agree, and we are getting there - albeit too slowly, but a few more
flooded places in the USA/China will up the ante and drive to change.

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Rotdhizon
That's not really worthy of an article, that's common sense. Everyone knows
that there are a hundred different ways to fix climate change, but none of
them are feasible or cost effective. A few advocates love for nature doesn't
make the business decisions, the love for money by the CEOs of company's
behind the biggest sources of pollution do.

~~~
r00fus
That's like saying "properly use indexes in SQL databases to fix performance
problems" shouldn't be an article because it's obvious.

The devil (or god depending on who you ask) is in the details. We don't get
into the details without a lot of discussion.

Your views on electification feasibility sound archaic and uselessly
pessimistic. Try out an EV today. They accelerate & decelerate faster, usually
handle better and are lower maintenance and charge/fuel cost. Today is the
swan song of ICE cars.

