Clean Power

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Mr. Obama announced the EPA relaesed future standards for power plants to reduce green house gases by 30% by 2030. Of-course once again the fear mongering dooms day sayers on the right wing propaganda outlets are all screeching OH MY GOD, THE WORLD IS COMMING TO AN END!!! and Obama is going to destroy the country.
In addition this will give Wall Street the green light to screw us all by using this mandate to artificially jacking the utility rates.

Anybody who has read any of my posts knows when it concerns Big Brother I am no fan of government regulation and control.
Trust me there will be a point made.

A little history...
Any of us who have been around trucking or the auto mechanical fields since the mid 1980s will remember the big debate that started when the idea of biodiesel, SCA, electronic fuel management, and cleaner burning engines, first came to be. The industry answer it cant be done.... At least on a voluntary basis.
1990 The EPA finally passed the first real mandate for cleaner Diesels to be completed by 2005.
1994 NAVISTAR introduced the H.E.I.U. injector
2004 CAT introduced A.C.E.R.T. Navistar E.G.R. and V.G.R. turbos
2007 D.P.F. and U.L.S.D. Yeah, I agree the beginning of the end of the Diesel engine
2010 S.C.R. was introduced by US engine builders
The engine manufacturers all whined and complained that it cant be done. Well we now have clean burning Diesel engines that emit exhaust with little to no particulate and smog has been drastically reduced. In fact, today's on-highway diesel engines emit 90 percent less PM and NOx.

So what's my angle?
Although I don't buy into the whole global warming myth I do believe in having clean air to breath is a good thing.

Well as I said the EPA passed new regs for power companies to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% by 2030.
This mandates upgrading existing plants technology, and equipment to reduce emissions. In addition utilities will be required to reduce in the use of oil and coal, and implementing more hydro, solar, and wind.
By the way this gives the utilities at least FIFTEEN YEARS to get their schit together. Keep in mind states will have until 2022 to have a plan and start implementing it, That leaves allot of leeway as its not clear on states writing their own rules and implementing them.

Personally I think the utility companies, coal and oil producers will use their deep pockets to buy their way out of the mandate.
The way technology keeps moving forward it will be a cakewalk and cost the utility industry pocket change.
Chances are more likely the mandate will not be realistically met before 2035 - 2040.


I don't think it gets anymore fair and balanced than that.

Bob Wolf.
 
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BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
B.T.W. If the engine manufacturers and OEMs can build cleaner burning engines on moving objects Im sure the utilities can manage a stationary plant.
 
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Unclebob

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
America's electric distribution grid is hopelessly outdated.

When America first started to electrify each town pretty much had their own separate power generating plant. As time went on it became more efficient to consolidate those plants into larger plants located further from the population areas and ship the power hundreds of miles to the customer.

Now the grid is so extended that one minor power outage can lead to a cascading effect wiping out power for millions of Americans. There are also power losses when sending electricity over hundreds of miles which wastes energy.

We now have the technology using wind generators, solar electric and other systems to revert back to local power generation enabling a much simpler power grid. The electric companies are moving towards that goal now they just need a little bit more incentive to get them moving faster.
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I agree, the entire grid is out dated,
When I moved into the house I live in now 19 years ago every time we got a decent rain storm we were often without power for several hours. Over the past 8 years since National Grid took over the grid they have made major improvements in the grid. Now we will loose power once and awhile but only for an hour or so. Its better but still can be improved. Yes I am all for Wind and solar but at this point as a booster to the grid, or very local as 1 wind turbine is only capable of powering 332 homes but only when its raining. Personally I like the concept of portable nuclear power generators like they use on subs and ships.
 
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