I think your overall point holds even if we give substantially more credit to markets ability to solve complex problems.
1) The market won't have any reason to decarbonize unless we actually require it to.
2) Just because the market can find the solution (i.e. hydro, geothermal, nuclear) doesn't mean it will be permitted by the government to make it possible. For example see everything about housing policy. In a given regulatory environment the "optimal" solution might be terrible.
I am quite optimistic about the power of markets to solve problems, but I share your overall pessimism about where this is going and why.
You left out one key factor in section on transmission. Mainly power loss. The further you transmit electricity and energy, the more you lose. Beyond a certain point, transmission is basically impossible.
I disagree, there is transmission loss sending power over distance, but it doesn't go to zero. It's in the same ballpark as over-building and battery storage in terms of efficiency.
Certainly there is no reason why our power grid shouldn't be modernized and integrated to take better advantage of what we are already doing. But there are limits without crossing more time zones.
But imagine going across the Atlantic or Pacific. There I agree, not only in this very expensive but it becomes geopolitically fraught.
Maybe I can imagine connecting Morocco to Vietnam through the Middle East and India, with Europe and Africa along for the ride.
I think your overall point holds even if we give substantially more credit to markets ability to solve complex problems.
1) The market won't have any reason to decarbonize unless we actually require it to.
2) Just because the market can find the solution (i.e. hydro, geothermal, nuclear) doesn't mean it will be permitted by the government to make it possible. For example see everything about housing policy. In a given regulatory environment the "optimal" solution might be terrible.
I am quite optimistic about the power of markets to solve problems, but I share your overall pessimism about where this is going and why.
You left out one key factor in section on transmission. Mainly power loss. The further you transmit electricity and energy, the more you lose. Beyond a certain point, transmission is basically impossible.
Seems plausible, but the technical limitations of power transmission are very far beyond my understanding, so I didn't really want to get into that.
I disagree, there is transmission loss sending power over distance, but it doesn't go to zero. It's in the same ballpark as over-building and battery storage in terms of efficiency.
Certainly there is no reason why our power grid shouldn't be modernized and integrated to take better advantage of what we are already doing. But there are limits without crossing more time zones.
But imagine going across the Atlantic or Pacific. There I agree, not only in this very expensive but it becomes geopolitically fraught.
Maybe I can imagine connecting Morocco to Vietnam through the Middle East and India, with Europe and Africa along for the ride.