Oil

irvinehomeowner said:
Depends.

In 2021, Cali had about 59% renewable/zero emission energy sources for electricity and expects that to go up.

Natural gas, which is the state's #1 single-type source, was at about 37% in 2022.

Oil doesn't even come into play for electricity so "Drill, Dummy, Drill" doesn't even help the power grid.
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Eh, your numbers seem really high. I found:

2021 was 35% renewable as a % of in CA generation. 34% as a % of total CA consumption (because CA imports electricity). For reference gas was 50% and 38% respectively.

https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation

They changed the categories in the 2022 report, but when I manually add it up to match up with the 2021 table, it's 36% renewable as a % of in CA generation, 36% as a % of total CA consumption. For reference gas was 47% and 36%, respectively

https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-repo...ty-data/2022-total-system-electric-generation

Total in CA generation and consumption was up as well, about 5%, so yes the renewable generation is growing in absolute terms, but barely budging as a % of total generation and consumption

Anyone who spends some time understanding what it takes to keep the energy grid functioning reliably will quickly realize there's no practical economical way to maintain a stable energy grid using today's technology without gas.
 
I said renewable/zero emission... which includes "clean" energy sources like nuclear and the non green house gas sources (non-GHG on your 2022 chart).

Basically most sources that do not depend on fossil fuels of which natural gas is the main one.

The 2021 number I got from this source (which is the same as yours):

New Data Shows Growth in California’s Clean Electricity Portfolio and Battery Storage Capacity

www.energy.ca.gov www.energy.ca.gov

1695257444814.png

Doesn't look like their numbers are the same from their own 2021 chart but it's not like I made it up. And, from your 2022 link, total renewable/non-GHG was ~54% so it's the same ballpark.

someguy said:
Anyone who spends some time understanding what it takes to keep the energy grid functioning reliably will quickly realize there's no practical economical way to maintain a stable energy grid using today's technology without gas.
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Seems like the people who are in charge think otherwise or else why would they be trying to reduce their dependence on natural gas?

And at least natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil.
 
except we don’t produce as much as we consume, so have to purchase a lot of it from other states that generate it with coal, gas and fossil fuels. Just NIMBY but still burning so we might as well drill our own!!! Drill baby drill…🦄🌈😂😂
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Seems like the people who are in charge think otherwise or else why would they be trying to reduce their dependence on natural gas?

And at least natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil.
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Ya, natural gas sounds preferable to coal and oil when it comes to emissions. It also has the upside of being able to ramp up and down as needed for electricity generation. Can't do that with nuclear in any short amount of time. Wind & solar are at the mercy of the weather. Batteries will deplete with continuous draw and aren't energy dense enough (yet?) to be relied on to replace much generation capacity.

As far as the people in charge, if you're referring to politicians, we probably differ in the amount of trust we're willing to place in them. I think they're exceptional at saying things that will win them votes and financial support. I wouldn't put much faith in their ability to do much else, especially maintain a reliable energy grid.

I've spent a great deal of time talking to a senior engineer at SCE. It's a fascinating field if you're into that kind of stuff. But the TLDR is

1) generation needs to match demand
2) demand fluctuates significantly on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis
3) gas and hydro generation are the largest and most reliable source of variable generation capacity

This website is a neat visualization of our grid's activity:

https://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/index.html
 
I am also friends with someone who works for a power company... I don't remember exactly but they said they were looking at hydro to generate power off-peak because the idea is to move it when solar generation is high and then use it to generate power when solar is low.

Almost like a battery that is charged during the day without having to actually store the energy.
 
morekaos said:
so have to purchase a lot of it from other states that generate it with coal, gas and fossil fuels.
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Citation? I believe many western states are moving to greener energy sources and Google tells me Cali imports about 30% which hasn't changed much over the last decade.

And remember... everyone is moving to Texas so we will use less energy every year. :)
 
I guess the questions I don't see answered here are these: Does "renewable" energy result in anything "clean"?

Has there been a measurable decline in airborne pollutants now that X percentage of power is being generated by renewable energy sources?

Do we see measurable improvements in air quality with 1-1.5m electric vehicles on the road?

Has there been any measurable benefit of using low sulfur or biomass diesel for trucks and trains?

I don't consider "reductions in CO2" as a beneficial byproduct of "renewable" or "green" energy as CO2 isn't a pollutant. Smog is a mixture of "nitrogen oxides, sulfur, ozone, smoke and other particulates including hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxides", not CO2 emissions. By now, its reasonable to assume some kind of dent/improvement in air quality could be authenticated. Anyone have a source to share? If not, then Isn't this push for renewables all hope plus theory and little else?
 
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irvinehomeowner said:
I am also friends with someone who works for a power company... I don't remember exactly but they said they were looking at hydro to generate power off-peak because the idea is to move it when solar generation is high and then use it to generate power when solar is low.

Almost like a battery that is charged during the day without having to actually store the energy.
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I've heard the same. The idea is to use excess generation to pump water up a hill into a reservoir and release it when needed for generation. A gravity battery. The pushback is

(1A) it's going to disturb nature to build and create emissions in the process, so many environmentalists strongly oppose such an endeavor

(1B) it will take a lot of water for this to work at a meaningful scale and water is quite scarce in CA

(2) there are significant energy losses involved in the operation.

(3) We still use gas to meet 35% to 45% of the state's electricity demand. If we're charging this gravity battery based on today's or the near future's grid, it's essentially charging, at least in part, by burning gas. Maybe a better idea would be to turn the gas plants down to bring down excess generation instead of emitting gas to charge a gravity battery. There's probably some fringe situations where they can't turn the gas generation down quick enough to match declining demand, but it seems like a lot of resource expenditures to build a gravity battery for those fringe situations. They can use existing chemical batteries to soak up that excess generation.
 
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Yes but using solar not gas to power the uphill transfer. And yes, also very expensive.

There was something else about hydrogen gas he mentioned which seemed backwards. I’ll ask him next time I see him.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Yes but using solar not gas to power the uphill transfer. And yes, also very expensive.
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You're forgetting that electricity demand still must be met and that the grid is indifferent about what is generating the power. Even in a hypothetical grid where you can direct power based on the generation source, if you direct solar away from powering homes/businesses towards pumping water up the hill then something else needs to power the homes/businesses, presumably gas because it's one of the only current generation methods that can be ramped up and down daily.
 
Drill baby drill…Help is on its way…🤦🏽‍♂️😂😂😂😂👍🏽🇺🇸

To date, the average gasoline price during President Biden’s term — with nearly two years still to go — is $3.60/gallon. That is on a pace to be the highest average under any president. Here is how prices stack up per gallon, from lowest to highest average for their terms:

1. Joe Biden (partial term) — $3.60

2. Barack Obama first term — $3.12

3. Barack Obama second term — $2.95

4. George W. Bush second term — $2.77

5. Donald Trump — $2.57

6. George W. Bush first term — $1.59

webcache.googleusercontent.com

Average Gasoline Prices Under The Past Four Presidents

Gasoline prices have been especially volatile over the past 20 years. Here is how prices evolved during each of the past four presidencies.
webcache.googleusercontent.com webcache.googleusercontent.com
 
Doomed!…🤦🏽‍♂️😂😂😂🌈🦄

As big investors fund more consolidation, "the fast-charging landscape will look pretty different from the landscape that exists today," said Michael Hughes, chief revenue and commercial officer for ChargePoint (CHPT.N), one of the largest suppliers of EV charging equipment and software.

dailycaller.com

Biden Admin Touted EV Charging Company To Support Climate Agenda. Now, Its Stock Is Tanking

The Biden administration highlighted an electric vehicle charging company as a success of its climate agenda, but the company's stock has performed poorly.
dailycaller.com dailycaller.com


IMG_1455.png
 
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Maybe this is the answer... eFuel:

Home

Climate change is a global challenge. It requires a global solution now.
hifglobal.com hifglobal.com

Our Process​

We use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis, and we capture CO₂ from the atmosphere, or from an industrial or biogenic source. We then combine the green hydrogen with the CO₂ through a process called synthesis, obtaining a fossil fuel substitute that can work in existing engines and infrastructure.

The final result is carbon neutral eFuel.

eFuels are a substitute for fossil fuels used in today’s cars, ships, trucks, airplanes, and the petrochemical industry, with no modifications required.

 
morekaos said:
No, he blatantly blew it out….totally screwed us right out in the open. But he is now lying about refilling it….

Biden administration set to start refilling oil reserve​

The Energy Department will start with an initial request for 3 million barrels, asking companies for the barrels to be delivered in February, an official said.

The administration had announced in October it would set up a process to purchase oil from companies to refill the SPR at a price of $67 to $72 a barrel.

www.politico.com

Biden administration set to start refilling oil reserve

The Energy Department will start with an initial request for 3 million barrels, asking companies for the barrels to be delivered in February, an official said.
www.politico.com www.politico.com
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What an idiot….🤦🏽‍♂️😡🙄🦄🌈

After Draining Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Lowest Level in 40 Years, Biden CANCELS Plan to Refill it Because Oil is “Way Too Expensive”


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-plan-amid-high-prices?embedded-checkout=true
 
It’s all a giant scam…Drill baby drill!!!😂😂😂🇺🇸

While Dementia Joe Continues His EV Push, Electricity Prices Have Risen Seven Times Faster Under Him Than Trump

Electricity prices have experienced a significant rise since the beginning of the Biden administration, rising more than seven times faster than under the entire Trump administration.

The average price of electricity has increased by 29.4% since January 2021 as of March, far greater than the preceding four years under the Trump administration, when electricity prices increased by only 4.0%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The jump in electricity prices accompanies a number of policies from the Biden administration that have curbed energy production, such as a regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency that requires that existing coal-fired power plants cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.

https://thelibertydaily.com/while-dementia-joe-continues-his-ev-push-electricity/

 
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