I propose we can safely say using nothing other than the 1st and 2nd Laws of thermodynamics that we would be better off just using the electricity used in the electrolysis step to charge an EV battery. www.aircela.com/frequently-a...

Improving the understanding of average citizens re the foundational role of science is super important IMO. But seems to me the key challenge of the post-Sagan era is developing strategies that can penetrate our hyper-polarized information channel reality? How to make science wondrous for all again?

Let the Neo Dark Ages begin. Recovery will take a very long time - perhaps centuries? Reservoirs of protected knowledge will help, but lost skills will take much time to rebuild. Seems like knowledge and innovation power centers will shift and be quite different on the other side (👀China).

ChatGPT = lying with style. Although I realize the analogy doesn't cross generations well, I refer to ChatGPT as EddieHaskellGPT. Boomers will at least get it.

Excellent points. I think people are grossly under-appreciating the self-inflicted wound we would create for our economy's competitive position w/r China. Abundant and affordable energy has always been the foundation of economic prosperity. Cede that to China, and we only impair ourselves.

Good list, but missing the massive potential of virtual power plants IMO. Simple VPPs just examples of the shifting demand, but putting that together with distributed store & shift solutions incl batteries is a real game changer. It's already happening where market structure allows (e.g. Texas).

I realize it dates me, but became really clear to me in some early use of LLM’s that they were really elaborate “Eddie Haskell” machines: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_H...

Indeed although we do not have such time, are you so sure about such limitations? Although often not noticed, the annual inhale and exhale of the "Keeling Curve" is larger than its annual increase. Challenge is to increase the inhale and decrease the exhale, but process itself already fast.

Seems to me that statement risks conflating problem and solution. Agree removing carbon already in the air is a must-solve problem. But that doesn't mean the technology known as "DAC" is an essential component of solutions. Plants already do direct-air-capture - we would be wise to learn from them.

Was stumped myself last evening. But my VPP emptied sold from my batteries for almost 2 hrs until fully tapped out. A profitable evening for sure!

So you’re saying if this goes through, a flurry of EV, heat pump, and home solar/battery projects may be in store for 2H 2025?

IMO, more significant than many realize. I was very surprised at the long-line when we went to vote in KISD election yesterday. Apathy is what gave space for right-wing extremists to grow a power base starting with school boards. Sane Americans seem to be showing up again to say 'no more.'

❤️ Right. ...at least for as long as there is hope that that which is right with America can cure that which is wrong with America.

Well, at least it's honest.

Realizing there may be all kinds of spin, look forward to learning real causes from deep analysis of this particular outage. May help sharpen the case for multi-scale distributed storage?

... and maybe worth noting that building a 1000 mile pipeline to transport and bury the CO2 from the ethanol plants doesn't change the answer.

I fear you are correct. Perhaps hope for Europe, but seems like the economic heft to build a great new university system may lie in China?

I agree. Among all the scary things, this is honestly among the most concerning as the effects are most lasting and hard to reverse. And yet I appreciate we have fallen far in public education on the wonders and merits of science since the days of Sagan and Cousteau. How to remedy?

Great to hear. Aware of anyone tracking all this BTM energy? Seems super important to understand, and at least here in ERCOT we have no way of really understanding this increasingly large swing variable that I know of?