Perfect Storm

Propane powered windmills protect vineyards and orchards

Weather events like the recent storms that caused the recent power outages in Texas, show the limits of our electric power system. The current power interconnect grind is only able to carry 5% of the power that we use. This means that the power you use is generated locally. When a town like Houston is hit with a cold weather event that causes a spike in electric demand a 5% capacity interconnect grid will not save them. This is why you see propane powered frost protection in more northern areas. They will work when an ice storm kills power from the grid. Electrically heated hot houses like you see in Texas are doomed to not provide protection when a winter storm descends.

local electric storage will be a part of every electric refueling station

.We wish to double the amount of electric power we wish to purchase from our electric power grid to power electric vehicles. While this is a good thing for climate change, it causes other problems. Currently the pipe line system delivers the lions share of the vehicle fuel we use. Each gas stations stores a few days supply. An electric grid that currently only carries 5% of what we use will be severely overtaxed if we double our usage. Beyond that no one wants a high tension transmission line in their back yard. The near term solutions will involve continuously transmitting at capacity by adding energy storage at both ends. Home vehicle recharging equipment will simply not work when the grid is overstressed to the dismay of individual users.

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