Stories From the World of Electricity Producers - Or why we can't have nice things

Things are much more messed up in the world of electricity production than anyone would care to imagine.

It isn't just a good idea, or a plan how to create energy easier, there is a group of people that own the power companies, the coal mines, the rail roads, the oil companies… and they do not want any changes to their empire. And the people above them do not want any changes to their power and control.

So many people, at so many levels. Each one has a lot of power on their level.

The contracts are iron-clad and protected by an army of lawyers.

Our better future is blocked by layers of people that want to keep the status quo.

This story is true, just the names have been left out because i can't remember names.

This smart guy developed a way to cleanly burn trash, and develop electricity from it. (just a two stage burner, like a rocket stove, and coils to extract the heat. And since it burned really hot, it could pretty much burn anything.)

So, this venture capitalist group try to build one in their home town.

1st they tried to get the inventor to patent it, so that they could own it, and control the technology. The inventor didn't want to do this, because he believed that the technology should be for the earth.

Next came the cease and desist orders and the death threats.

They were trying to get the trash people to deliver the trash to the new-fangled incinerator, and hook this thing up to the electric grid.

The trash people showed up, like a mafia movie. They tried to tell them that they weren't stopping them from picking up trash, just dropping it off at a new place. The "mafia" told them that they were happy with the current arrangement and that these upstarts were threatening what they had.

And you think that the electric grid just allows anyone to connect? Nope. And even if it looks like some PV field is hooking up no problem, it is either, that it is tiny/insignificant, or they are in the "club".

BTW, did you know that when you set up a line-tie solar system that you are supposed to have 10 Million in insurance coverage in case anyone gets electrocuted by your system, across the grid. Most people do not have this, or know about this, but it is there in your contract you signed with the power company. (it may have changed by now)

A story from a electrical power plant conference:

A politician was kicking up lots of stuff trying to get more power plants built.

When an executive was asked about this at the conference, the reply went like this: Where are they going to get the financing to build this? If they do that, how are they going to get the high power lines installed, and most of all, where are they going to get the fuel to run this? (All the suppliers are pretty much running at capacity)

There is no wiggle room in the system. There isn't piles of coal just sitting there. There isn't extra rail way cars to ship it. There isn't extra rail lines to move it. There isn't extra high power lines to move the electricity.

Above is a little image that shows building a thing that uses water at different elevations to store and release electricity.

It would take the cheap power at night, pump the water uphill, and during the next day, when extra power is needed, let it flow downhill making electricity.

This would be really easy in hilly places like California. Where you can get 200 foot drops everywhere. And some 500 foot drops if you are willing to work it.

This just the thing that places like the California desert needs to power all those ACs in the summer. It would be a no brainer to build dozens of these things.

Except, one problem. You are stealing money from the power company. They want their power plant running at 100%. That is when they get the most money. If you steal this by providing extra power at the peak, then they are losing money.

(and that is correct, damn the customers who are experiencing brown outs, the customers cannot switch to anyone else. Even thou on paper is says you can.)

You put this thing, that should be a no brainer, in place. There will be a lot of very powerful people stopping you every step of the way. You will make a lot of very powerful enemies. And they will F! you over. They will drain all your reserves, and then say, "oh you didn't last 24 hours, so you are not a power supplier, buh bye". Or they will never use your power for months, causing you to close down. (Yes, they aren't supposed to do that, but hey, there is a controller that handles that, and i guess they just didn't need extra energy)

So, i have come to the conclusion that there are two paths to better electric production.

1. Build the project in secret. Push it, full publicity. Make the governor have to approve it, or they will be out of office. And then keep pushing until everyone just has to accept that it is there.
2. Build projects that are of person or small community size. In areas outside their grid, they have no legal power to stop it. Still, they will try to stop it.

And why should it come to this? Don't electric company executives have children and want to leave a better world for them? From their actions, it seems that that is a NO. Or they believe that everything is fine, and we can just keep going as is. And then they have money to raise a family.

Anyway, the power people's stranglehold is coming to an end. The old dinosaur is dying. Power to the people.

All images in this post are my own original creations.