I won’t link to Pajamas media.

However, there is a truly remarkable bit of garbage posted there that attempts to “debunk” the idea of a smart grid. I should point out that the author is a former poster here who has written remarkable gems of anti-science foolishness and stupidity.

I shall enjoy debunking the “debunking”

It is important to not that the article never actually defines or describes what a smart grid is or how it is supposed to work or what the key components are. Some key components are more effective long range transmission, more intelligent switching capacity to send energy from low load areas to high load ares and the deployment of battery systems to store and accumulate energy which could be fed back into the grid if the owners demand is low. These things would then allow more remote plants, like windfarms to send energy when needed and store it when not.

The increased transmission and switching would cut down on emissions tremendously in of itself, particularly during regional hotspells by not forcing off peak areas to waste energy when idling, while forcing other regions to run at peak capacity.

Some Gems:

“Aging technology” is a nonsensical term, because the technology can’t get old unless there’s a new technology in the wings to replace it, and the argument that there’s not enough money in R&D undercuts the implication that there has to be newer technology waiting.

Nothing ever breaks down and entropy stopped in the US?

Do certain pieces need to be replaced? Probably. But the financial mechanism for that should already be in place… should be a routine matter of finance. This is basically an internal matter that their maintenance departments should be dealing with on an ongoing basis.

The author already established that it did not know what entropy was, however as is always the case with these sorts of fools, th should be about the science and the technology, not a bunch of political and economic clap trap. The studies already show that smart grids would be tremendously profitable. Since he does not take the time to link to such a study and back up his claims with facts, I will.

Some actual science from a non-wingnut…

sciencedirect.com

Abstract

If Europe is serious about reaching its target to keep global mean temperature increase below 2 C, it must strive for a 100% renewable electricity system by 2050. The SuperSmart Grid approach combines what is often perceived as two exclusive alternatives: wide area power generation and decentralised power generation. We argue that by combining these, in fact, complementary measures, it is possible to address the crucial issue of renewable generation—fluctuating supply—in a comprehensive as well as in a technologically and economically viable manner. Thus, the SuperSmart Grid simultaneously can contribute to energy security, climate security, social security, and national security.

And here is some actual economics from MIT

The bottom line is that such technologies exist or are in development (the PJM article does not bother to discuss this properly) and actual economists and scientists have demonstrated they would be beneficial both environmentally and financially. They would most importantly reduce costs to customers - that’s you and me.

To be continued…