More details on the green energy debate
May 2, 2019 - 9:00 pm
Updated May 2, 2019 - 11:22 pm
I have speculated that some members of the anti-green energy crowd have a problem connecting dots. John Stossel confirmed my suspicions in his April 29 commentary “Day dreaming about the Green New Deal.”
Totally ignored were energy storage technologies such as pumped storage hydroelectric, compressed air, flywheel, non-battery chemical and various thermal methods. The solar plant at Tonopah employs a molten sodium/potassium nitrate mixture to store excess solar thermal energy.
With regard to battery storage of solar energy, Mr. Stossel notes the various expenses to make batteries. However, nowhere does he mention using solar energy to recharge existing batteries. Further, I cannot grasped how, after citing the safety of nuclear energy, he could ignore the hazards of nuclear waste disposal while suggesting the hazards related to battery disposal argue against using batteries to store solar energy.