http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/coal-clean-or-otherwise-get-used-to-it/ Business, Better. Since 2005 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/coal-clean-or-otherwise-get-used-to-it/comment-page-1/#comment-81376 William Brent's Search for Cleantech Mon, 23 May 2011 18:23:57 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/coal-clean-or-otherwise-get-used-to-it/#comment-81376 [...] the clean economy – I’m not exempt from scrutiny (as I have pointed out in the past, there is no such thing as clean anything when you take a closer look. After all, everything we make requires the consumption of something, [...] [...] the clean economy – I’m not exempt from scrutiny (as I have pointed out in the past, there is no such thing as clean anything when you take a closer look. After all, everything we make requires the consumption of something, [...]

]]> http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/coal-clean-or-otherwise-get-used-to-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10538 Dan Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:04:22 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/coal-clean-or-otherwise-get-used-to-it/#comment-10538 Mr. Brent- You are correct that there needs to be some pragmatic thinking included in with the idealism of renewable energy. Coal plants are engineered for a life of 50 years and often the investors amortize the initial cost of the plant over 20 or 30 years. Will they walk away from that investment? The other reason to have a slower transition is for the low income families. There are health and life style benefits to having electricity in the home and in many places; you can't get a certificate of occupancy if you don't have power. Getting cut by the power company is effectively a temporary eviction. I work at a utility and I see the lines in the drive through and in the lobby on "cut days." If we kill coal and go to 100% renewable at a fast pace, we will send the price of energy skyrocketing and really put the wood to folks who are already battling tough economic times. We need to be on the track to renewable energy but we must be aware of the unintended consequences and also be pragmatic in how we implement the changes. Thanks for keeping us thinking! DC Mr. Brent-
You are correct that there needs to be some pragmatic thinking included in with the idealism of renewable energy. Coal plants are engineered for a life of 50 years and often the investors amortize the initial cost of the plant over 20 or 30 years. Will they walk away from that investment?
The other reason to have a slower transition is for the low income families. There are health and life style benefits to having electricity in the home and in many places; you can’t get a certificate of occupancy if you don’t have power. Getting cut by the power company is effectively a temporary eviction. I work at a utility and I see the lines in the drive through and in the lobby on “cut days.” If we kill coal and go to 100% renewable at a fast pace, we will send the price of energy skyrocketing and really put the wood to folks who are already battling tough economic times.
We need to be on the track to renewable energy but we must be aware of the unintended consequences and also be pragmatic in how we implement the changes.
Thanks for keeping us thinking!
DC

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