Il_vino_buono t1_itpk6t7 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 11:29 AM

It’s nice the bus is electric, but over 90% of RI’s electricity comes from natural gas. Wind makes up just .5% percent. Electrifying vehicles only makes sense if you decarbonize the grid. Wind just doesn’t make enough energy.

degggendorf t1_itps4el wrote on October 25, 2022 at 12:44 PM

> Electrifying vehicles only makes sense if you decarbonize the grid.

Well yeah, I don't think there is anyone saying we should all drive EVs and also that we should also continue to rely exclusively on fossil fuels.

> over 90% of RI’s electricity comes from natural gas

That figure is for generation within RI borders, but since we're on the northeast interconnect and energy is fungible (I think that's the right word), we should look at that mix whee natural gas is only 46% of generation and wind is 3%: https://www.iso-ne.com/about/key-stats/resource-mix

But even then, clearly we have room for improvement.

Il_vino_buono t1_itpt1kv wrote on October 25, 2022 at 12:51 PM

Honestly, SMR (Nuclear) is the fastest path to a green grid. Wind creates a big carbon footprint and does produce enough power to sub-plant gas/coal.

degggendorf t1_itpysuv wrote on October 25, 2022 at 1:37 PM

I agree about the importance of having that nuclear backbone, but do think that the grid should/needs to evolve to be more storage-focused than purely one-way generation.

I am not sure where you're getting your info on carbon footprint for wind though, it seems to be pretty darn low: https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/articles/how-wind-energy-can-help-us-breathe-easier

monkysandtools t1_itr45bk wrote on October 25, 2022 at 6:11 PM

From a short term perspective, it would seem rational to import more Hydroelectric

Xalenn t1_itsdj77 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 11:13 PM

Even without decarbonizing the grid, electric still makes sense. It's far easier to manage emissions at a power plant vs on millions of vehicles. There are plenty of other reasons but that alone is huge

Il_vino_buono t1_itsf1c9 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 11:25 PM

For now, but battery production includes some very dirty mining and there’s not enough raw materials in the world to supply the amount of electrified cars, trucks, and buses we need. ESG experts are aware of this. More than likely, hydrogen will be the answer. However, hydrogen production is also carbon intensive.