Solar is helping prevent heatwave power cuts in Europe
www.euronews.com
Record-breaking temperatures have put pressure on Europe's energy systems but increased output from solar is helping to fill the gap.
  •  SomeGuyNamedPaul   ( @SomeGuyNamedPaul@beehaw.org ) 
    3•1 year ago

    It’s hard to say “the US” when it’s made of three distinct grids and each grid has differing suppliers. This is a slightly worse generalization than calling Europe a single country. The grid makeup is very regional and varies widely from operator to operator.

    https://app.electricitymaps.com/map

    If you click around you’ll see that most of the renewables that show up on the map are hydro. Solar and wind are making a bigger percentage as time goes on but the entrenched investments in fossil fuels do not exactly get replaced overnight.

    •  Hyperreality   ( @Hyperreality@kbin.social ) 
      3•1 year ago

      entrenched investments in fossil fuels do not exactly get replaced overnight.

      Germany reunified in 1991. Until then a large proportion of the country was an impoverished communist dictatorship and soviet client state. Currently they’re at 50% renewables. Was half of Texas annexed by Cuba until the 90s? Is that why they didn’t have money to pivot to renewables?

      Moldova is still partially occupied by Russia and has a per capita GDP of $6000 dollars. Indiana has a per capita GDP of $61000. Guess whether Indiana or Moldova generate more electricity from renewables…

      The US is the richest country on earth. Not having made the pivot to renewables is a political choice. You can blame corruption. You can blame undue influence of the fossil fuel lobby.

      But let’s be real, a large proportion of Americans would rather buy a new and unnecessarily large truck than install solar panels on their roof or invest in a heat pump. I mean, IRC some or other government agency suggesting you should get rid of your gas stove became politically controversial in the US not so long ago. Michelle Bachmann ran a campaign against energy saving lightbulbs, for gods’ sake!

      You don’t need a new powergrid to install solar panels on your roof or replace your gas stove with induction. All that is required is a realisation that saving energy isn’t gay, anti-christian or communism.

      TBF Biden’s actually doing something about it, and California’s been ahead of the curve since forever, but half of congress and ‘real America’ is throwing a tantrum.