California generated 10% of it's energy via solar in 2015

[SunEagle]

That's why we need to have government regulation because time and time again you can count of corporations to abuse their monopoly power and do unethical things if they think they can get away with it. I am not saying all corporations are evil, but history has shown us that many corporation will do unethical things if they can get away with it.

Yes history has had a number of corporations that have done some nasty things to the public to make unbelievable amounts of money. But they don't have a lock on that character trait.

History has also shown that governments can do what ever they want including unethical practices. So IMO you get to pick your poison.

[veritass]

While you may have some issue with your POCO I really wish you could keep an open mind concerning the rest.

Yes there are some that may seem to be money hungry but they are just businesses that must meet the needs of their investors even though it may seem that they are charging their customers heavy fees.

Over the 40 years I have worked in the electrical engineering field I have come to meet and know a number of people and POCO's. I will say that a lot of those that I have met have been very helpful and really do support their customers in many ways. Lumping all the POCO's together into a group that is "not helpful to their consumers and society" is a little unreasonable and IMO inaccurate.

That's why we need to have government regulation because time and time again you can count of corporations to abuse their monopoly power and do unethical things if they think they can get away with it. I am not saying all corporations are evil, but history has shown us that many corporation will do unethical things if they can get away with it.

[DanKegel]

+1

SCE may sound evil to net metering fans, but protecting the earth is not their job. Corporations are *supposed* to be money grubbers, that's what they're for!

[SunEagle]

Utilities don't like energy conservation programs and rooftop solar because it lowers their profits. The utilities are in business to make money so they will discourage anything, while might be help to consumers and society, isn't helpful to them.

While you may have some issue with your POCO I really wish you could keep an open mind concerning the rest.

Yes there are some that may seem to be money hungry but they are just businesses that must meet the needs of their investors even though it may seem that they are charging their customers heavy fees.

Over the 40 years I have worked in the electrical engineering field I have come to meet and know a number of people and POCO's. I will say that a lot of those that I have met have been very helpful and really do support their customers in many ways. Lumping all the POCO's together into a group that is "not helpful to their consumers and society" is a little unreasonable and IMO inaccurate.

[veritass]

I agree with the need to find ways to reduce our energy consumption and some people will do that with or without laws.

Unfortunately a lot of industry will not spend much money to retrofit their facilities so their peak demand usage drops significantly regardless of what the US Government mandates or offers as an incentive.

Utilities don't like energy conservation programs and rooftop solar because it lowers their profits. The utilities are in business to make money so they will discourage anything, while might be help to consumers and society, isn't helpful to them.

[jflorey2]

My question is if people are so worried about climate change due to the earths temperature rising then why isn't there more outrage pointed at the methane (which is many times worse than CO2) that is being released from farm animals as well as from other natural sources from the earth?

There is a fair amount of concern over methane as well.
http://timeforchange.org/are-cows-ca...at-methane-CO2
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Glo...ory?id=2723201
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015...-wasted-energy

http://www.alberta.ca/climate-methane-emissions.cfm

http://news.psu.edu/story/364787/201...hane-emissions

I have a feeling the reason it's not discussed more often is:
1) ignorant people mock it regularly (i.e. "oh let's all panic over farts! hahaha")
2) It's inherently an easier problem to solve since the half-life of methane in the atmosphere is far lower than the half-life of CO2.

[J.P.M.]

1+ Nice one.

Yea, that was a commonly heard opinion during/after some of the testing. Also a good example/description of the type of multitasking that the effort often required at regular intervals during testing.

[SunEagle]

Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Energy Conservation Program


http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...vation-program

I agree with the need to find ways to reduce our energy consumption and some people will do that with or without laws.

Unfortunately a lot of industry will not spend much money to retrofit their facilities so their peak demand usage drops significantly regardless of what the US Government mandates or offers as an incentive.

[SunEagle]

I spent many years and personal financial resources doing personal research on the biggest real source of the methane.

After following the money, and in the same way as the tobacco co.'s and lung cancer, I'm convinced it's the beer lobby that's keeping the real truth about the biggest fugitive methane source quiet.

1+ Nice one.

[veritass]

Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Energy Conservation Program

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/16/01/26/2351252/supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-energy-conservation-program

[J.P.M.]

My question is if people are so worried about climate change due to the earths temperature rising then why isn't there more outrage pointed at the methane (which is many times worse than CO2) that is being released from farm animals as well as from other natural sources from the earth? (underline added, J.P.M.)

I spent many years and personal financial resources doing personal research on the biggest real source of the methane.

After following the money, and in the same way as the tobacco co.'s and lung cancer, I'm convinced it's the beer lobby that's keeping the real truth about the biggest fugitive methane source quiet.

[SunEagle]

You don't need wind and solar to explain the lower price for natural gas. Fracking suffices, and probably caused a much greater fall in prices than renewables did.
(See also http://www.investopedia.com/articles...gas-prices.asp )

Eventually, though, when the economy has mostly switched to renewables, natural gas prices will probably be pretty darn low, at least until the already-dug wells stop producing (and ignoring the carbon tax which will probably exist by then).

Unfortunately due to the low price of oil & natural gas and the expansion of energy usage in developing nations, fossil fuel power generation may still provide over 50% for the world's electrical needs for the next couple of decades.

Solar and Wind should keep increasing but even if RE triples it's footprint it will still be less than 25% of the total world power generation.

My question is if people are so worried about climate change due to the earths temperature rising then why isn't there more outrage pointed at the methane (which is many times worse than CO2) that is being released from farm animals as well as from other natural sources from the earth?

[veritass]

You don't need wind and solar to explain the lower price for natural gas. Fracking suffices, and probably caused a much greater fall in prices than renewables did.
(See also http://www.investopedia.com/articles...gas-prices.asp )

Eventually, though, when the economy has mostly switched to renewables, natural gas prices will probably be pretty darn low, at least until the already-dug wells stop producing (and ignoring the carbon tax which will probably exist by then).

I agree

[DanKegel]

Greater use of wind and solar means less demand for natural gas, hence a lower price for natural gas.

You don't need wind and solar to explain the lower price for natural gas. Fracking suffices, and probably caused a much greater fall in prices than renewables did.
(See also http://www.investopedia.com/articles...gas-prices.asp )

Eventually, though, when the economy has mostly switched to renewables, natural gas prices will probably be pretty darn low, at least until the already-dug wells stop producing (and ignoring the carbon tax which will probably exist by then).

[SunEagle]

According to my Sunny Portal my plant has generated 586 KWh so far in January. That' s with an 11 Kw system. We've had a lot of clouds and rain in S. Calif this January so it's an unusal month for us. Non the less I think the system is generating properly. I expect that it will at least triple during summer months. I have the formal projections from the engineer and they show that January is one of the worst months of the year for solar generation.

I agree you should see 3 times that amount for a monthly generation during the summer. While I understand S CA needs the rain hopefully it will come at night so your system can help offset your electric costs.