Tesla’s Musk Says U.S. Electricity Production Needs to Double to Power Transition to EV Vehicles

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Musk, to his credit, finally acknowledges the elephant in the room.

It was well known in the electric industry in the 1980s that the US was on the knife's edge of electrical demand outstripping supply. That was the real reason for energy-saving mandates in lighting and household appliances. Those and various recessions that reduced electrical demand bought us time. The new power generation plants that have been built were mainly to replace coal-fueled plants with little net gain for the grid.

I have witnessed rolling blackouts on cold days, and this was in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the early 1990s. Demand for electricity for heat was so high that Virginia Power (now Dominion Energy) had no choice.

The savings from energy mandates, meanwhile, have been offset by extra power demand for business and home computers, gaming systems, and connected devices. One huge power sink is computers being used for Bitcoin mining. I believe the threat to power grids from that alone is a reason some countries are outlawing cryptocurrencies.

Lots of people have tried to warn that a mass switch to EVs that must be plugged in to recharge would be a disaster for the grid. Finally we have acknowledgement. If anyone will listen, that is. Too many of the people pushing EVs are technologically illiterate. They believe that they can plug in something and the outlet will always have power. Musk is warning that might not be true.
 
There would just be too many unpopular decisions to be made and too many increases in power price to pay for it all. For instance nuclear would have to be embraced and fat chance of that. Also, one half of the US population would disagree that there is a compelling reason to go to electric vehicles in the first place, with a four year election cycle. The power grid depends on equipment that has been fully depreciated over the last 50 years. No way could there be a doubling of power without a huge increase in the power price and huge push back from voters. Ain’t going to happen.
 
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The state of California can’t keep their power on for 1 day straight due to their poor environmental policies.

No, we aren’t ready for EV’s.

I do think they have their place though. Strictly commuting, trips to the store, etc. would be fine. Just don’t travel somewhere without a reliable way to charge your car. Farming/ heavy machinery, and logistics, no way...
 
dlundblad said:
The state of California can’t keep their power on for 1 day straight due to their poor environmental policies.

No, we aren’t ready for EV’s.

I do think they have their place though. Strictly commuting, trips to the store, etc. would be fine. Just don’t travel somewhere without a reliable way to charge your car. Farming/ heavy machinery, and logistics, no way...
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Who would've thunk them thar treehuggers could make a single mistake?!?
 
Well that a friggin rocket scientist to figure that out. This whole EV thing has nothing to do with the environment it is about another agenda meant to un-horse the lower/middle class and leave the elite/ruling class with their cars. Read history, you know the stuff they refuse to teach anymore.
My opinion of 99% of all politicians regardless of party and so called activist/experts is lower than dog doo I wash of my shoe. I cant say anymore.
 
After a number of years of punishing power price and tax increases, taxpayers will grow weary of electric car thing and will decide enough was done, and let China pull its weight on the climate agenda. Unlike the USA, climate and E cars are not really linked in China since their power is provided largely by coal.
 
We have an aluminum smelter in the SE corner of the state that uses 10% of all the power produced by Ameren Missouri. I remember reading that and being blown away. Plenty of extra capacity here when that place finally closes for good. I do agree we should have more nuclear plants and this push to EVs is going to bite a lot of utilities and customers in the butt.
 
Pretty slick that Elon gets to pass alone the infrastructure costs that make his product even remotely viable, to the entire population that has a utility meter.
Wonder is the "green" folks living in apartments will be welcoming of higher energy costs so that rich homeowners can charge their EV.
 
thastinger said:
Pretty slick that Elon gets to pass alone the infrastructure costs that make his product even remotely viable, to the entire population that has a utility meter.
Wonder is the "green" folks living in apartments will be welcoming of higher energy costs so that rich homeowners can charge their EV.
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On the flip side - Tesla installed charging stations - whereas you and me will install them for Ford …
 
Something I find missing from much of the electricity debates is they are not energy debates. It’s hard to compete with the BTU’s in heat from NG - especially if starting with a cold house.
As many realized here this February - thousands of “spec homes” got built all electric and had no backup heat.
Further, I find it ironic that some who want to kill that industry live in cold climates …
 
Also, beware of Elon’s mind games ; making us believe that E cars will be so successful that we need to worry about the power grid. We may come across E car fatigue and the shine on this relatively new product may wear off.
 
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Snagglefoot said:
Also, beware of Elon’s mind games ; making us believe that E cars will be so successful that we need to worry about the power grid. We may come across E car fatigue and the shine on the this relatively new product may wear off.
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IMO - the need for them and practicality is greater in large cities - also fits ideology in many cases.
 
Nuclear is too expensive to build and operate in the US. Millions if not billions in govt guarantees, billions in cost overruns, all result in higher costs for ratepayers. Then there's the local issues of NIMBY and a lack of suitable locations for new plants.
 
The problem is that government is pushing to go all E-car . And the car companies are going along with it . At some point your choices will be limited .
 
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