https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-solar-power-beaming-virtus-solis
"...will make orbiting power plants not only affordable, but cheaper than many other methods of generating electricity on Earth..."
#space based #solar and #nuclear are the best routes to a #postscarcity #economy because terrestrial #renewables are too intermittent and just don't produce enough #baseload energy.
Is it April 1st again?
This is the best technology unicorn parody I've seen yet. Mine, manufacture, launch on methane fuelled rockets... and boost ocean warming with extra energy from orbit!
Just what we need!
Every other solution to supply and demand smooting/matching is better than "base load coal".
Here are some things to consider:
1. Everything is cleaner than coal, see chart in article below.
2. Everything is safer than coal, see chart in article below.
3. Gas is much better than coal on both counts, see chart in article below.
4. Electricity supply can be smoothed with variable pricing.
5. Electricity supply can be smoothed with non-battery storage such as off-river pumped hydro, sand gravity storage, thermal storage.
6. Electricity supply can be smoothed with grid improvements, locally and with interconnects.
7. Electricity demand can be cut with district heating e.g. from industrial and geothermal sources.
8. Electricity demand from FF can be cut with a carbon tax.
Literally everything is better than continued use of coal for base load electricity demand for decades as in that projection.
nicholas
Pampa