Dan from Madison

A friend of mine recently bought a Tesla and I asked him last week how he was enjoying his coal and natural gas powered vehicle, since those two fuels represent the majority of power generation in Wisconsin. It led to an interesting discussion, and one that I have been trying to have with many people, most of whom simply won’t listen, don’t care, or would rather just talk about something else. The source of electricity generation seems to get glossed over or lost in the haze to most.

I live in HVAC world, where we are right now in the middle of massive changes in efficiency and product selection due to new energy mandates (and some old ones now coming due). While these changes and the stampede toward electrification seem to make some sense (and are loved by voters, apparently) the cost of the equipment keep skyrocketing. The equipment is now larger so you get fewer units on a truck, and fewer in the warehouse, which also adds costs. No matter how hard you want to fight physics, it stays undefeated. To hit the new standards, you need more materials. Which brings me to mining.

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I was pleasantly surprised to read this article today on Fox News. It actually discusses some of the enormous challenges that California will have in trying to live up to some of the “clean energy” promises that have been made.

I am exposed constantly in my industry (HVAC) to the drumbeat of electrification. States, municipalities, and even the federal government are subsidizing electric appliances, vehicles, and other types of equipment and in some cases simply outright banning fossil fuel equipment in new construction.

The thing that has been perplexing me since this show started in earnest a few years ago is exactly what the article addresses. Where do the legislators and others think that the power will come from? Electricity doesn’t fall from the sky and has to be transported to the point of use.

Transmission line projects take years and in the case of California, could a new one even be built at all?

There is a lot to this subject, of course, but at least there was an article published that scratches the surface of some of the “pie in the sky” legislation and addresses the hopes and dreams of those who think installing a huge new base of electrical items won’t cause any issues down the line.