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A comment on 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’ (2018). Parent comment

Re:536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’ (2018) by pfdietz on Thursday June 18, 2020 @06:52PM (#23569036)
Nowhere does he make the case that 100% renewables is impossible. It is, of course, a tall order, but maintaining and growing a global energy infrastructure OF ANY KIND is a tall order.

Smil has argued that energy transitions happen only slowly, but I think he's being misled because the current rate of cost decline in renewables is unprecedented in its speed, as is the willingness of increasing numbers of countries to impose CO2 taxes or the equivalent.

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Re:536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’ (2018) by Gibbon1 on Thursday June 18, 2020 @07:11PM (#23569177)
Second factor is historically new energy sources required rolling out different technologies to utilize it. And you often couldn't switch back and forth. Renewables are generally about electric power and electron is an electron and we already have fully built out distribution networks.

And you're right about regulatory pressure being a big motivator.

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