Reply To: Alexander Franklin Mayer's Physics

[tcg]

The distributed nature of FF power generation would also eliminate most of the colossal losses of power associated with long distance transmission. It has been estimated that 40% of the power sent five hundred miles from Boulder dam to Los Angeles is lost as heat in the conductors. More local generation would eliminate these losses.

I have also blocked out how my own small, ocean front town could at very reasonable cost generate enough electricity for its inhabitants. We would not only become independent of the grid, but also we could use the waste heat from the generators to purify enough seawater for our water needs, making us no longer dependent on thousand mile long distribution networks.

The presence of intermittent sources of power, such as wind or solar, would be useful during daytime peak usage when air conditioners are running at full blast. The net result would be to smooth out the demand from FF sources and make the use of them more efficient.

I see a very workable future in all of this.