NationStates Jolt Archive

A bill to create a minimal, widely expandable/scalable grid of high voltage electrical cables connecting every nation of the world, to at least one other nation, and ensuring

Description: believing that within the space of fifty years at least one quarter of the worlds electrical power output will be generated from renewable sources.
Noting that both solar power and wind power are inconsistant, that is that solar plants do not generate the same amount of power all of the time, but that the power generated varies from time to time. Wind plants vary on the windspeed at their location.

Further noting that a world power grid would facilitate amortising power generation from wind and solar plants, hopefully leading to greater supply stability.

Further noting that not all nations have the necesary resources for renewable power generation - not every nation has the vast number of suitable sites for wind power plants that the United States, for example, has. As such, considerable potential for good, capitalist, profit exists.

Further noting that the sun does not shine at every point on earth at the same time, a world power grid would allow solar power to be delivered to any nation on earth, at any time, with a profit induced by the efficiency of solar power conversion at midday on the equator.

Further noting that physical solar power generation - utilising heat engines or steam turbines - is far more cost effective than photovoltaic cells, the bill creates limited subsidies for all solar power generation systems with a cost efficiency of between current coal-fired-steam-turbine cost efficiency, and half that efficiency.

That's all. Love people. :fluffle:

We're sorry, before we can even move on to the substance of the proposal we just have to comment on this...

A draft porpoise?

Ok, with that our of our system...

As to the general thrust of this idea, we would find it less than desirable to be reliant on foreign nations to maintain supply to our own domestic power grid. Further...

A bill to create a minimal, widely expandable/scalable grid of high voltage electrical cables connecting every nation of the world, to at least one other nation, and ensuring

Elaborate on what you mean, specifically, by a "minimal, widely expandable/scalable" grid. In what manner is it "minimal" for instance?

Description: believing that within the space of fifty years at least one quarter of the worlds electrical power output will be generated from renewable sources.
Noting that both solar power and wind power are inconsistant, that is that solar plants do not generate the same amount of power all of the time, but that the power generated varies from time to time. Wind plants vary on the windspeed at their location.

Further noting that a world power grid would facilitate amortising power generation from wind and solar plants, hopefully leading to greater supply stability.

It would do that... while ignoring the downside of placing foreign nations in control of your nation's electrical power.

Further noting that not all nations have the necesary resources for renewable power generation - not every nation has the vast number of suitable sites for wind power plants that the United States, for example, has. As such, considerable potential for good, capitalist, profit exists.

Attempting to sell the idea to the righties we see...

Further noting that the sun does not shine at every point on earth at the same time, a world power grid would allow solar power to be delivered to any nation on earth, at any time, with a profit induced by the efficiency of solar power conversion at midday on the equator.

(Which is still fairly low by other power generation standards)

Further noting that physical solar power generation - utilising heat engines or steam turbines - is far more cost effective than photovoltaic cells, the bill creates limited subsidies for all solar power generation systems with a cost efficiency of between current coal-fired-steam-turbine cost efficiency, and half that efficiency.

How are steam turbines or the like "physical solar power generation"?

You may want to bear in mind that the poor science of PoSP is one of the main reasons it's up for repeal. Introducing some hard science into your proposal to back up some of your claims might help persuade us. That said, the idea does not as a whole seem particularly well thought out.

Also, category?

Ummm, IRL, I can't even depend on the power plant a couple miles down the road to keep my lights on, and you want me to trust a world-wide power grid? Keep it local -- at least that way I know who to phone when I need to whine.

AK_ID

A world wide anything for me is a terrible idea. Their will always be some one against something; therefore, leading to some terroristic or just political moves against the grid. If that Grid is taken down, the whole world is. It kinda revolves around the idea that the entire world would fall if all computers were just abruptly turned off and unable to re boot. You just can't rely on that much unity in this era. :eek: :sniper: :headbang: :mp5:

Elaborate on what you mean, specifically, by a "minimal, widely expandable/scalable" grid. In what manner is it "minimal" for instance

Start small - a few hundred megawatts total capacity ( one coal fired power station or so). Then expand as demand rises.

The problem of relying on foriegn nations could be addressed by relying on more than one. Anyway, they'd have to sign long term power delivery contracts to take part, and would be thrown off the grid / rendered unable to sell their power if they broke contract. (hmm. That means the need for a UN. Grid authority to administer the contracts and ensure honesty.)

Terrorists would also only be able to attack a few small links, but this is a grid system, a network, and as such can be made resiliant to a small number of failures.

Oh, yeah. Physical power generation. By that I mean solar/light energy -> heat -> mechanical energy (rotary energy) -> electricity
rather than solar/light energy -> electrical energy.

Oh, yeah. Physical power generation. By that I mean solar/light energy -> heat -> mechanical energy (rotary energy) -> electricity
rather than solar/light energy -> electrical energy.

Then to readdress your original statement:

Further noting that physical solar power generation - utilising heat engines or steam turbines - is far more cost effective than photovoltaic cells

Do you have any idea how much solar energy would be required to run a turbine or steam engine? And this would be far more innefficient than simply taking the power directly from photovoltaics.