Energy 146, On energy storage, solar-wind subsidies, net zero

A good article by my American friend, Willis here.

Storing Energy 
Willis Eschenbach  June 16, 2021 
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/06/15/storing-energy/

• Good sites are often very far from where the power is needed. You can put a conventional power plant, or even a Tesla-style battery, next to a city where the power need exists … but you generally can’t do that with pumped hydro. So you end up with very large transmission costs and transmission losses.

• Pumped hydro is not all that efficient. You only get back about 70%-80% of the energy that you put in …

• The best sites are far too often already in use.

So that’s the current state of play in the world of storing energy to generate electricity. Short version? We are a long, long way from batteries or other storage systems being able to hold and deliver enough energy to do anything larger than balance out short-term fluctuations in energy supply versus demand.

Sharing other interesting articles:

Mark Carney, man of destiny, arises to revolutionize society. It won't be pleasant 
What Carney ultimately wants is a technocratic dictatorship justified by climate alarmism
Peter Foster  •  June 5, 2021 
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/peter-foster-mark-carney-man-of-destiny-arises-to-revolutionize-society-it-wont-be-pleasant

UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance Mark Carney’s Brave New World will be one of severely constrained choice, less flying, less meat, more inconvenience and more poverty: “Assets will be stranded, used gasoline powered cars will be unsaleable, inefficient properties will be unrentable,” he promises.

Greenpeace felt victorious when they sued big oil gas companies at CHR, Shell ultimately ordered by Dutch court to cut CO2 emission big time, a form of penalty. Now the climate activists went to CHR again, this time the target are coal plants, oil gas cement firms. 

CHR urged to stand up for rights of coal-impacted fishing communities
Gaea Katreena Cabico - June 8, 2021 - 6:33pm https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/08/2104017/chr-urged-stand-rights-coal-impacted-fishing-communities

China Tempers Climate Change Efforts After Economic Officials Limit Scope
Authorities have limited the scope of a carbon-trading scheme as driving growth takes priority
By Sha Hua in Hong Kong and Keith Zhai in Singapore
Updated June 9, 2021 5:16 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-economic-officials-temper-climate-efforts-11623241401

China Delivers Crushing Blow To Wind, Solar Power 
By Irina Slav - Jun 11, 2021, 11:00 AM CDT 
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/China-Delivers-Crushing-Blow-To-Wind-Solar-Power.html

China will stop subsidizing new solar farm projects, distributed solar projects for commercial users, and onshore wind farms as soon as this year, Reuters reported, citing the central planning authority of the country. The change will enter into effect on August 1.

Decarbonization: It’s the Demand Side, Stupid
By Rupert Darwall  June 12, 2021
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2021/06/12/decarbonization_its_the_demand_side_stupid_781189.html

Net-Zero: the West's Suicide Note
John O'Sullivan • 13 Jun, 2021
https://the-pipeline.org/net-zero-the-wests-suicide-note/

Oil Markets Baffled As The IEA Calls For More Production 
By Cyril Widdershoven - Jun 13, 2021, 6:00 PM CDT
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Markets-Baffled-As-The-IEA-Calls-For-More-Production.html

India urges G7 nations to keep their climate finance promise
Prime Minister Modi urges G7 members to set aside $100 billion annually in climate finance
Elizabeth Roche  Updated: 14 Jun 2021, 06:07 AM IST
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/india-asks-g-7-to-fulfill-100-bn-promise-towards-climate-change-11623599833880.html

Global fossil fuel use similar to decade ago in energy mix, report says
Nina Chestney  June 15, 2021  6:29 AM PST
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-fossil-fuel-use-similar-decade-ago-energy-mix-report-says-2021-06-14/

Gas Is So Scarce in Europe That Coal Is Making a Comeback
By Vanessa Dezem, Jesper Starn, and Isis Almeida
June 15, 2021, 2:00 PM GMT+8
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-15/gas-is-so-scarce-in-europe-that-coal-is-making-a-comeback

DOF Sec. Sonny Dominguez is implying that less rain and more rain, less flood and more flood, less poor and more poor, less dogs and more dogs, is scary. The PH possibilities soon are higher gas and coal tax, higher cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles excise and registration tax, etc. Higher taxes means government and the UN can prevent less rain and more rain, less flood and more flood, less poor and more poor.

DoF warns climate change could wipe out PHL economic gains
June 15, 2021 | 9:23 pm 
https://www.bworldonline.com/dof-warns-climate-change-could-wipe-out-phl-economic-gains/

Meanwhile, WTI crude is now $72.5/barrel, highest since Oct. 8, 2018.
Coal at $117/ton, it touched $119.50/ton last June 11, highest since Oct. 24, 2012 at $119.75/ton.
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See also:
Energy 143, IEA embraces darkness economics, May 23, 2021 
Energy 144, Shell and oil companies are penalized because consumers and motorists use their products, May 28, 2021 
Energy 145, US oil production, world prices of oil, ethanol, coal and copper, June 10, 2021.