Old Wizard

A Very Smart Plan for Federal Smart Grid Grants

Lack of quantitative data is most likely a problem for many of the possibilities for alternate energy sources. I believe that this administration has already made up its mind that near term solutions which have the most quantitative data , proven technologies and carry the least risk to practical operation will be ruled out[like natural gas transportation] and is driving the country to renewal non-carbon emitting solutions. For these like wind,solar and biofuels the energy dept and administration are not addressing the whole problem which needs an appollo type focus. The problem for near term step increases for wind power generation ,e.g.first needs a near term stretch goal, a total plan that includes removal of political and legal impediments, the development of control equations, logic and software, adequate interim energy storage mechanisms, delivery transport lines with higher efficiency and sufficient funding to match the goals. Projects which support significant development, installation and initial operation of sizeable facilities and their insertion into the power grid need to be defined and funded by the government. If a 100b of the stimulus funds were dedeicated to enabling several such projects in 5 years then I believe real progress would be made. As it stands what oil import reduction does the administration believe or for that matter what do you estimate will result in 5 years? Without establishing significantly important goals that get the country to problem solution in 5 and 10 years, we will be squandering money we don't have and borrow from the Arabs and Chinese on a lot of projects while others like the Chinese make real and near term progress.

A Very Smart Plan for Federal Smart Grid Grants

John, Your being encouraged by the latest pronouncement by DOE is a little disconcerting. I see it as the typical approach of an R&D oriented mentality and not one that wants to solve our energy problem with any urgency. The numbers quoted for the Chinese goals relative to windgenerated energy are a case in point. They set the stretch goal, a massive amount of wind energy in 11 years. We talk about being independent of foreign oil by 2030. The approach that says show me your technology is worthy and raise a bunch of money and we'll give you some stimulus money is the typical R&D view with the added downside of no specific goal managed by a government bureacracy. Grid management can't only be done at the end points of a distributed system. Because our national grid is interconnected, control issues are also systemic and the addition of intermittant sources of energy that hopefully are large enough to matter, will require the synthesis of a system wide control logic with very rapid feedback mechanisms. Where is the thinking that recognizes this problem in the energy plan? Just like the natural gas issue, I don't see where this group has thought through any comprehensive energy plan , and while the program can provide gains to the investors who capitalize on the infusion of large amounts of money by the Gov., I fear a golden opportuniity[ perhaps our last opportunity] to solve the serious energy and economic dependency issue is being lost.