Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the first month on record

Re:Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the fir... by hyperhello on Monday April 21, 2025 @08:24AM (#43751154)

While the cost of power will be reduced, I think that's overly optimistic in the long run. Fixing the lines and power distribution systems when they wear out or get hit by weather is really the cost of your electricity bill. You can have a shared power grid, or not pay for it, but you can't have both. Even areas powered by hydro have to maintain cherry pickers for that.

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Re:Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the fir... by atonse on Monday April 21, 2025 @09:18PM (#43758230)

So you’re saying the equivalent of managing solar panels is the same as what I’d pay monthly?

That’s the first I’ve ever heard this stat.

Right now I pay about $180 a month for electricity. So let’s round it to $2,000 a year.

If I got solar panels, I’d be spending average of $2k a year maintaining them? There are literally no moving parts anywhere. I can imagine having to replace an inverter here and there, or maybe even a panel at some point.

So my guess would be more line $200 a year average, if that.

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Re:Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the fir... by s1artibartfast on Tuesday April 22, 2025 @02:51PM (#43765116)

No, I think they are saying you will be charged $2k for your grid connection and sporadic use, unless you are legally allowed to fully disconnect.

They are saying the cost for grid running to your house, and for the hydro dams that provide power on a cloudy day are basically fixed.

Net metering doesn't scale at population levels.

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Re:Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the fir... by atonse on Wednesday April 23, 2025 @08:56AM (#43771592)

Ah yeah good point.

That’s already happening with EVs. In my state in the US, since they are earning less from the gas taxes (used to pay for roads) from EV owners, they’ve raised the car registration fees for EV owners only.

And at superchargers they’ve raised prices to 45c/KWh.

So eventually I feel it won’t be much of a cost savings to have an EV anymore.

Don’t see why it wouldn’t be the same with Solar.

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