Electric Bills Expected to Rise

[Helena]

Electric bills expected to rise

Electricity forecast for 2009 is up sharply from last month; increase in price of natural gas a factor.



NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Americans may face dramatically higher electric bills next year, according to a government report released Tuesday.


The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast that electricity prices will climb an average of 9.8% in 2009. Only a month ago, the agency was forecasting a 3.6% increase for next year.



Electricity prices may spike more than expected - Jul. 9, 2008


~

 

[ziggy29]

Not sure how higher energy prices is still "news," but okay...

 

[Notmuchlonger]

So Helena how do you feel about the higher prices?

 

[Helena]

So Helena how do you feel about the higher prices?

I say it's a good thing my house is paid off. Here in Texas,
my electric bill goes through the roof in the summertime.

The future belongs to space solar generated electricity...
but hardly anyone speaks of it anymore. Back in the 70s,
during our last energy crisis, NASA had men on the moon.
Today, NASA has returned to Mars, but still no one hardly
speaks of space solar. In the 1990s Congress asked NASA
officials to develop space solar. In 2001, after a positive
three year study, NASA asked for funding and received
government funding for a space solar program. Then, just
a few months later... right before 9-11... NASA's space solar
program was [supposedly] suddenly canceled without explanation.

I asked my [NASA scientist] brother about space solar and he
said: " it would initially be quite expensive, but the $$$ spent
on the war in Iraq would be a good start. "

I say: Make space solar electricity, not war !!


~

 

[Patrick]

I say it's a good thing my house is paid off. Here in Texas,
my electric bill goes through the roof in the summertime.

The future belongs to space solar generated electricity...
but hardly anyone speaks of it anymore. Back in the 70s,
during our last energy crisis, NASA had men on the moon.
Today, NASA has returned to Mars, but still no one hardly
speaks of space solar. In the 1990s Congress asked NASA
officials to develop space solar. In 2001, after a positive
three year study, NASA asked for funding and received
government funding for a space solar program. Then, just
a few months later... right before 9-11... NASA's space solar
program was [supposedly] suddenly canceled without explanation.

I asked my [NASA scientist] brother about space solar and he
said: " it would initially be quite expensive, but the $$$ spent
on the war in Iraq would be a good start. "

I say: Make space solar electricity, not war !!


~

Why not earth-based solar? It's already been developed. All that's needed is a ramp-up in production and economies of scale will make it economically viable.

 

[Zathras]

I think both have a role to play.
Personally, land based solar is here today, so I will be happy to take advantage of it.

 

[Helena]

Why not earth-based solar? It's already been developed. All that's needed is a ramp-up in production and economies of scale will make it economically viable.

A friend of mine who runs his ranch on earth based solar energy
told me why... because in space the sun shines 24/7.

~

 

[Notmuchlonger]

A friend of mine who runs his ranch on earth based solar energy
told me why... because in space the sun shines 24/7.

~

Solar an alternative for you folks living in Texas?

 

[REWahoo]

Only when the sun shines...

 

[Marquette]

Only when the sun shines...

You could use a battery backup for the other two days.

 

[REWahoo]

How many D cells will I need to power a 3 ton, 14 SEER unit?

 

[Patrick]

A friend of mine who runs his ranch on earth based solar energy
told me why... because in space the sun shines 24/7.

~

How do they propose to get the power down to earth? Reflect it down in a beam? If so, I hope they don't miss the target area. Don't tell me they want to use a really long extension cord . . .

Also, if the collector is a satellite, it will probably be subject to blackouts anyway, especially if it's geosynchronous over the U.S.

 

[harley]

How do they propose to get the power down to earth? Reflect it down in a beam? If so, I hope they don't miss the target area. Don't tell me they want to use a really long extension cord . . .

Also, if the collector is a satellite, it will probably be subject to blackouts anyway, especially if it's geosynchronous over the U.S.

If it is geosynchronous, they will be able to use an extension cord. I'm still waiting for the space elevator.

Harley

 

[Bestwifeever]

How do they propose to get the power down to earth? Reflect it down in a beam? If so, I hope they don't miss the target area. Don't tell me they want to use a really long extension cord . . .

Also, if the collector is a satellite, it will probably be subject to blackouts anyway, especially if it's geosynchronous over the U.S.

Giant batteries that will be shot down to our individual homes guided by GPS?

I say it's a good thing my house is paid off. Here in Texas,
my electric bill goes through the roof in the summertime.

Helena, does electricity cost less where you are if your house is paid off?

We haven't run our AC yet (we're in Chicago) and summer is almost half over--take that, electric company! Our new $12 Walmart window fan in the bedroom is doing the trick at night--it blows hot air out until we go to bed, then we turn it around and it blows cooler air in. Bonus is the white noise. Suppose it gets a little too warm in Texas to rely on this method....

 

[Patrick]

If it is geosynchronous, they will be able to use an extension cord. I'm still waiting for the space elevator.

Harley

How much would a 35,000 km long cord weigh and what would the resistance losses in the wire be? Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

 

[harley]

How much would a 35,000 km long cord weigh and what would the resistance losses in the wire be? Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

Sorry, should have used a smiley. That was sarcasm. But don't feel bad, I've been married for 29 years and my DW still hasn't figured out my alleged sense of humor either.

Harley

 

[Helena]

One day, space solar will provide the planet with
clean unlimited electricity. Even the scoffers may
live to see it.

 

[Patrick]

One day, space solar will provide the planet with
clean unlimited electricity. Even the scoffers may
live to see it.

OK, I'll bite. How exactly is it supposed to work?

 

[Helena]

OK, I'll bite. How exactly is it supposed to work?

NASA Spaces on Energy Solution

NASA Spaces on Energy Solution


How to harvest solar power? Beam it down from space!

How to harvest solar power? Beam it down from space! - CNN.com


Can Earth Be Powered by Energy Beamed From Moon?

Can Earth Be Powered by Energy Beamed From Moon?

 

[A854321]

OK I'll bit even harder: How do I invest in this?

 

[Zathras]

Space solar really does have some issues. However it isn't just a 'pipe' dream as some seam to think.
Personally I like a non-centralized system where many/most residences produce their own power or at least a lot of it.
However space based solar would be a very clean alternative to coal

 

[Patrick]

"Because there is energy loss during the process of beaming the energy to Earth and converting it back to electricity, it may not be more cost-effective than placing solar panels in places with ample sunlight."

So why waste money developing this new technology?

Also, one or a few satellites would be prime targets for our enemies. Thousands of individual solar systems distributed across the nation would be virtually uninterruptible.

 

[harley]

One day, space solar will provide the planet with
clean unlimited electricity. Even the scoffers may
live to see it.

Ha! They aren't putting those giant collecter sheets in my night sky, blocking my view of Uranus.

People won't even let the power companies put windmills a few miles offshore to slice seagulls and produce electricity. Not to mention "nukuler" plants. Space would probably have to be an internationally agreed upon process. The UN can't even decide what shape table to use.

Harley

 

[Telly]

Ha! They aren't putting those giant collecter sheets in my night sky, blocking my view of Uranus.

OK, I'll walk into the trip wire...

So you don't want them to put it where the sun don't shine, 'cuz that would block Uranus. Sounds logical to me...

 

[Telly]

One day, space solar will provide the planet with
clean unlimited electricity. Even the scoffers may
live to see it.

Back in the late 70's there was the Solar Power Satellite concept which received quite a bit of thought. A giant geostationary satellite converted solar energy into microwaves which were transmitted to earth via a phased-array antenna. The reception site would be in the Southwest. The receiver would be a multi-square miles "rectenna". A rectenna was a built-up array of antenna elements with a diode in each antenna (rectifying antenna = rectenna). After conditioning, it would power a multitude of inverters to generate AC.

There would be safeguard controls in the satellite to defocus the beam to lower the watts/meter field strength if the satellite for some reason started to wander the microwave beam off of the target antenna field.

But with today's processing power, what could be defocused, could also be focused much tighter, creating the ultimate space-based "heater paint brush". Iranian nuclear complex? Osama Bin Laden out in the Pakistani mountains? Fidel Castro on one of his open-air 8 hr. speeches? No problem! Even tin-foil hats wouldn't help!
We should have built it. I want to work the controls. The ultimate toy.