Scott Fines
@hyalinetech.bsky.social
Understanding Power generation. https://hyaline.tech
Reposted by Scott Fines
Absolutely amazing: they've got so much solar in Australia that they need more people to use more of it, so the gov't has instructed energy retailers to offer *at least three hours of free power* during the middle of the day.
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Energy retailers to be directed to offer free power three hours a day
Saying there is enough solar power for everyone in the daytime, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen will direct retailers to provide three hours of free power every day to consumers.
www.abc.net.au
November 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Absolutely amazing: they've got so much solar in Australia that they need more people to use more of it, so the gov't has instructed energy retailers to offer *at least three hours of free power* during the middle of the day.
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
A statistician and an engineer went hunting. The first shot went three feet to the right. The second shot missed three feet to the left. The statistician cries “we got it!”
like i think the Times Editorial Board gives the game away here
October 21, 2025 at 12:08 AM
A statistician and an engineer went hunting. The first shot went three feet to the right. The second shot missed three feet to the left. The statistician cries “we got it!”
Turns out that raising rates so that you can guarantee a profit on gas and coal plants is bad for consumers, Actually:
www.ksdk.com/article/news...
www.ksdk.com/article/news...
Ameren cut off nearly 15,000 Missourians from electricity in September as data centers threaten to raise prices more
Data centers are projected to raise electricity prices even more, as current prices are already unaffordable for thousands of families across the state.
www.ksdk.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Turns out that raising rates so that you can guarantee a profit on gas and coal plants is bad for consumers, Actually:
www.ksdk.com/article/news...
www.ksdk.com/article/news...
Reposted by Scott Fines
Let us be clear: The President of the United States is levying war against American cities and American citizens—and we cannot rely on the other branches of government to save us.
It’s up to us.
It’s up to us.
It’s Up to Us to Protect One Another
As Trump sends troops to Chicago, we will continue to investigate and report. Readers have a role to play, too.
southsideweekly.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Let us be clear: The President of the United States is levying war against American cities and American citizens—and we cannot rely on the other branches of government to save us.
It’s up to us.
It’s up to us.
My town is on the map! I don’t care if the rest of the map is garbage, they got that part right
This is the most accurate depiction of the Midwest to date. Wichita has always felt like the last Midwest city while also being the first plains city.
October 8, 2025 at 1:14 PM
My town is on the map! I don’t care if the rest of the map is garbage, they got that part right
I think there’s pretty good evidence that the AI bubble has peaked, and will start a sharp downturn relatively soon. But I don’t see much to indicate that the Datacenter mania has peaked yet; I’m guessing another 6 months at least.
October 6, 2025 at 12:17 AM
I think there’s pretty good evidence that the AI bubble has peaked, and will start a sharp downturn relatively soon. But I don’t see much to indicate that the Datacenter mania has peaked yet; I’m guessing another 6 months at least.
Reposted by Scott Fines
The world's first carbon border tax is about to go live, roiling — and possibly reshaping —global trade share.google/yTtxujzkAx8a...
🔌💡
🔌💡
The world's first carbon border tax will soon go live — shaking up global trade
The European Union is poised to fully implement its carbon border tax from Jan. 1.
share.google
October 2, 2025 at 1:39 AM
The world's first carbon border tax is about to go live, roiling — and possibly reshaping —global trade share.google/yTtxujzkAx8a...
🔌💡
🔌💡
The datacenters will not be built.
The power demand will not materialize.
The power demand will not materialize.
1. Wait, “it has become harder for some data center builders to arrange the financing for large-scale projects,” that sounds pretty bad
2. How much financing for data center deals has NVIDIA agreed to backstop?
2. How much financing for data center deals has NVIDIA agreed to backstop?
September 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The datacenters will not be built.
The power demand will not materialize.
The power demand will not materialize.
The AI bubble is probably better thought of as two distinct bubbles: LLMs in general (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.), and the associated datacenter buildout bubble.
Useful to remember that the dot-com was actually two bubbles as well: the dot-coms, and the telecoms. Telecoms was much worse.
Useful to remember that the dot-com was actually two bubbles as well: the dot-coms, and the telecoms. Telecoms was much worse.
September 26, 2025 at 8:53 PM
The AI bubble is probably better thought of as two distinct bubbles: LLMs in general (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.), and the associated datacenter buildout bubble.
Useful to remember that the dot-com was actually two bubbles as well: the dot-coms, and the telecoms. Telecoms was much worse.
Useful to remember that the dot-com was actually two bubbles as well: the dot-coms, and the telecoms. Telecoms was much worse.
This is pretty funny, because it doesn’t take a lot of mathematical sophistication to know intuitively that this had to be true: no probabilistic system will ever be deterministically correct.
"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
www.computerworld.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This is pretty funny, because it doesn’t take a lot of mathematical sophistication to know intuitively that this had to be true: no probabilistic system will ever be deterministically correct.
Reposted by Scott Fines
Marissa Gillett, possibly the best utility regulator in the country, resigned from the Connecticut PURA this morning. She was forced out by Connecticut’s investor-owned utilities, who finally won their years-long, scorching campaign to oust her. A thread here about Gillett:
September 19, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Marissa Gillett, possibly the best utility regulator in the country, resigned from the Connecticut PURA this morning. She was forced out by Connecticut’s investor-owned utilities, who finally won their years-long, scorching campaign to oust her. A thread here about Gillett:
“ I believe in the municipal ownership of these monopolies because if you do not own them they in turn will own you. They will rule your politics, corrupt your institutions and finally destroy your liberties.“
-Tom L Johnson
#energysky
-Tom L Johnson
#energysky
September 10 #chartoftheday
Walmart says if Dominion’s proposed 10.4% return on equity is approved, it would be the 2nd highest awarded ROE for vertically integrated utilities since 2024. #energysky
More: storage.googleapis.com/core_entitie...
Walmart says if Dominion’s proposed 10.4% return on equity is approved, it would be the 2nd highest awarded ROE for vertically integrated utilities since 2024. #energysky
More: storage.googleapis.com/core_entitie...
September 10, 2025 at 12:08 PM
“ I believe in the municipal ownership of these monopolies because if you do not own them they in turn will own you. They will rule your politics, corrupt your institutions and finally destroy your liberties.“
-Tom L Johnson
#energysky
-Tom L Johnson
#energysky
Just on a purely academic level, this is absolutely the coolest technology I’ve ever seen. 3 of these windows will run my fridge!
#energysky
#energysky
Solar glass pioneer says next-gen tech has 66 pct higher energy output at half the cost #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...
September 8, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Just on a purely academic level, this is absolutely the coolest technology I’ve ever seen. 3 of these windows will run my fridge!
#energysky
#energysky
This is incredible, but (to me at least) it raises a big question: why now?
#energysky
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
#energysky
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa | Ember
There has been a major pick-up in solar panel imports into Africa over the last 12 months - a shift that is likely to impact almost every country on the continent.
ember-energy.org
September 7, 2025 at 2:21 AM
This is incredible, but (to me at least) it raises a big question: why now?
#energysky
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
#energysky
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
Ameren Missouri wants to build a 250-MW solar field by the Callaway Nuclear plant. A surprising request, tbh, considering they recently got approval for a 750MW gas plant. Still, I’m not complaining about a good thing:
#energysky
abc17news.com/news/top-sto...
#energysky
abc17news.com/news/top-sto...
Ameren seeks 250-megawatt solar facility in Callaway County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Ameren Missouri applied last week with Missouri's utility regulators to build a 2.5-megawatt solar power facility in Callaway County. The utility is asking for a Certificate of Co...
abc17news.com
September 2, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Ameren Missouri wants to build a 250-MW solar field by the Callaway Nuclear plant. A surprising request, tbh, considering they recently got approval for a 750MW gas plant. Still, I’m not complaining about a good thing:
#energysky
abc17news.com/news/top-sto...
#energysky
abc17news.com/news/top-sto...
Reposted by Scott Fines
One of the more surprising conclusions that I have been coming around to is that clean energy will eventually force a reckoning with our current economic superstructure.
You just can’t run things the way we have when there isn’t a stranglehold on the energy supply _somewhere_
You just can’t run things the way we have when there isn’t a stranglehold on the energy supply _somewhere_
We're trying to bully Japan into taking our LNG, but ...
"Fossil fuels generated a record low share of Japan's utility-scale electricity supplies over the first half of 2025, marking an important milestone in the energy transition momentum of one of the world's largest fossil fuel consumers."
"Fossil fuels generated a record low share of Japan's utility-scale electricity supplies over the first half of 2025, marking an important milestone in the energy transition momentum of one of the world's largest fossil fuel consumers."
Japan's utilities cut fossil fuel electricity share to new lows
Fossil fuels generated a record low share of Japan's utility-scale electricity supplies over the first half of 2025, marking an important milestone in the energy transition momentum of one of the world's largest fossil fuel consumers.
www.reuters.com
August 30, 2025 at 8:36 PM
One of the more surprising conclusions that I have been coming around to is that clean energy will eventually force a reckoning with our current economic superstructure.
You just can’t run things the way we have when there isn’t a stranglehold on the energy supply _somewhere_
You just can’t run things the way we have when there isn’t a stranglehold on the energy supply _somewhere_
Reposted by Scott Fines
Holy crap, a 26 MW wind turbine! 185 meter hub height! 310 meter rotor diameter!
electrek.co/2025/08/29/c...
electrek.co/2025/08/29/c...
China installs the world's most powerful wind turbine
China’s Dongfang Electric has installed a 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine, snatching the "world’s most powerful" title from Siemens Gamesa.
electrek.co
August 30, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Holy crap, a 26 MW wind turbine! 185 meter hub height! 310 meter rotor diameter!
electrek.co/2025/08/29/c...
electrek.co/2025/08/29/c...
It sure seems like all these demand-increasing forecasts that utilities are putting out are highly dependent on datacenter load that may or may not ever actually show up. But of course it's easy to gamble when you're playing with someone else's money:
🔌💡
www.hyaline.tech/the-datacent...
🔌💡
www.hyaline.tech/the-datacent...
The Datacenter Trap
On August 20, 2025, the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved Entergy's request for 3 new gas plants specifically to handle a single datacenter for Meta. This datacenter hasn't been built yet, ...
www.hyaline.tech
August 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM
It sure seems like all these demand-increasing forecasts that utilities are putting out are highly dependent on datacenter load that may or may not ever actually show up. But of course it's easy to gamble when you're playing with someone else's money:
🔌💡
www.hyaline.tech/the-datacent...
🔌💡
www.hyaline.tech/the-datacent...
Shocking absolutely nobody: the 10 or so transmission companies that dominate MISO also own gas pipelines.
Power markets do not serve everyone equally.
🔌💡
Power markets do not serve everyone equally.
🔌💡
Just as renewable energy advocates predicted, MISO's claim of a "broad mix" of energy sources in the interconnection queue express lane actually means 74% gas plants. 🔌💡
@yes-energy.bsky.social
www.rtoinsider.com/113407-gas-g...
@yes-energy.bsky.social
www.rtoinsider.com/113407-gas-g...
August 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Shocking absolutely nobody: the 10 or so transmission companies that dominate MISO also own gas pipelines.
Power markets do not serve everyone equally.
🔌💡
Power markets do not serve everyone equally.
🔌💡
It is amazing to me how often people suggest shifting the risk of wholesale markets to the people least equipped to handle them.
Price gouging is so much easier when your counterparty doesn’t understand what’s happening.
#energysky
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/27/d...
Price gouging is so much easier when your counterparty doesn’t understand what’s happening.
#energysky
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/27/d...
Dynamic pricing is superior to virtual power plants, says dynamic pricing pioneer
As California pursues dynamic pricing of electricity to help integrate renewable generation, industry pioneer Edward Cazalet says dynamic pricing can meet California’s demand flexibility needs better ...
pv-magazine-usa.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:50 PM
It is amazing to me how often people suggest shifting the risk of wholesale markets to the people least equipped to handle them.
Price gouging is so much easier when your counterparty doesn’t understand what’s happening.
#energysky
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/27/d...
Price gouging is so much easier when your counterparty doesn’t understand what’s happening.
#energysky
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/27/d...
Reposted by Scott Fines
"Solar panel imports will reduce fuel imports. The savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries."
Fossil fuels are crushing costs for poor nations.
Solar is cheap!
#energysky ember-energy.org/app/uploads/...
Fossil fuels are crushing costs for poor nations.
Solar is cheap!
#energysky ember-energy.org/app/uploads/...
August 26, 2025 at 11:47 AM
"Solar panel imports will reduce fuel imports. The savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries."
Fossil fuels are crushing costs for poor nations.
Solar is cheap!
#energysky ember-energy.org/app/uploads/...
Fossil fuels are crushing costs for poor nations.
Solar is cheap!
#energysky ember-energy.org/app/uploads/...
This is sorta obvious if you have worked on rate design: The amount of distribution costs recovered through fixed charges likely determines the cost shift. Ironically, progressive rate designs probably see more cost shift.
The solution is also sorta obvious: put solar panels on poor people's roofs.
The solution is also sorta obvious: put solar panels on poor people's roofs.
Study finds net metering causes less than one dollar cost shift to most ratepayers #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: pv-magazine-usa.com/...
August 25, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This is sorta obvious if you have worked on rate design: The amount of distribution costs recovered through fixed charges likely determines the cost shift. Ironically, progressive rate designs probably see more cost shift.
The solution is also sorta obvious: put solar panels on poor people's roofs.
The solution is also sorta obvious: put solar panels on poor people's roofs.
Question for #energysky folks:
Does anyone maintain a database/listing of actual proposed datacenters in the US(or other large loads)?
Does anyone maintain a database/listing of actual proposed datacenters in the US(or other large loads)?
August 24, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Question for #energysky folks:
Does anyone maintain a database/listing of actual proposed datacenters in the US(or other large loads)?
Does anyone maintain a database/listing of actual proposed datacenters in the US(or other large loads)?
Mathematically speaking, exponential growth looks exactly like linear growth for values close to zero.
#energysky
about.bnef.com/insights/cle...
#energysky
about.bnef.com/insights/cle...
Liebreich: The Pragmatic Climate Reset - Part I | BloombergNEF
As the tide on clean energy turns, Michael Liebreich makes a strong case for a pragmatic climate reset.
about.bnef.com
August 24, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Mathematically speaking, exponential growth looks exactly like linear growth for values close to zero.
#energysky
about.bnef.com/insights/cle...
#energysky
about.bnef.com/insights/cle...