Womble comments on Solar electricity is poised to overtake coal in—of all places

Solar electricity is poised to overtake coal in—of all places—Texas (www.motherjones.com)

submitted 5 months ago by pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net

55 comments fedilink hide all child comments

For the first time ever, solar is set to generate more electricity than coal in the power market managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Nobody is building new coal power plants in the state, but developers are adding more solar there than anywhere else in the country. As a result of those diverging trajectories, the federal government expects ERCOT will receive 78 billion kilowatt-hours from solar in 2026, and just 60 from coal.

This trend does have seasonal variations. Last year, solar output beat coal on a monthly basis from March through August, and this year it is expected to do so from March through December, per the US Energy Information Administration at the Department of Energy.

[–] Womble@piefed.world 1 point 5 months ago

I have no reason to doubt that it was an element, but it seems to me that density of power and being able to place that power wherever it is needed (mines being a good example as you said) were likely a bigger consideration that just wanting to skimp on labour costs. If not why did steam power set off such an explosion of industrialisation?.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent