Re: Alternate fuels.

John A. Weeks III wrote:

This is done using "peaking plants".

I've installed more than a few "Peakers".
They are diesel or turbo-shaft and run on diesel fuel, natural gas or maybe a combination. They are also only a fraction of the efficiency of a major powerplant and have very high maintenance costs. (I know, I wrote the invoices.)

The idea is that it takes
days to bring a huge power plant on-line and ramp it up to power,
but smaller power generators can be quickly started up and connected
to the grid when there is a peak demand. They have been doing this
here in Minnesota for years. A power company is not going to keep
a huge gas fired or coal fired plant on-line dumping the power just
to wait for the chance that everyone turns on their A/C unit at the
same time.

Water does not flow 24/7 either.

But water flowing does not change with the speed that the wind does.

The wind farm studies that I have seen all require at least an 80% backup of fossil fuel plant.

There is lots of water in spring,
but less and less during summer and fall. That hasn't stopped the
use of hydro power. Some of the big dams such as Hoover Dam are
used only for peaking because Lake Meade is so low. In addition,
while the wind might be slack in one place, it is never slack
everywhere at the same time. For the most part, wind generators
are only built in locations where there is a very frequent wind
blowing, such as through Altamont Pass or Buffalo Ridge in
southwestern MN.

-john-


I think you need a better source of information.

Matt Colie
.

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