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US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

bbc.com

161–170 of 941 posts

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, they say that, but I wonder how much of it is just to make the Trump admin happy. Like, I don't doubt that they will go and build gas projects, and might even use some of this money to kickstart it, but presumably RWE was already pretty far along the pipeline of preparing this offshore buildout, and there's likely a lot equipment orders, staff, ships, etc that they'd rather not cancel, and would rather redirect…

They'll certainly continue wind projects, just not likely in the US and not with this money.

Right, I just mean I wonder how much of the buildup to this project will be wasted.

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#162
To be clear, this isn’t wind power currently under construction. It’s proposed future wind power with leases being planned. Trump has largely failed to stop the nearly complete projects in New England, New York, and Virginia.

Still short sighted and stupid, of course.

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#163
post #117
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Utterly Insane. I mean the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction" is proven true by this US administration again, again and again. If you put this as a plot point in a novel, you would get a 1-star rating with readers complaining about lack of realism.

People were for years joking about us approaching Idiocracy but I think this reality is already dumber than that in some regards. Trump & co really turbocharged the idiotification

It's a cliche now to say we're past that as in Idiocracy they listened to the smartest person to solve their problem.

We're now onto Captain Planet baddies. Ridiculously childish cartoon carictatures of greed and evil are now in charge

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#164
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All kinds of power generation are typically heavily subdized in some way. I do not think this "common sense" strategy exists.

There are too many interested parties involved in the energy sector. The only common sense I can think of is solar+storage at the single building level and interconnected through smart grids with neighbours. But that leaves out the government and all those interested parties so we're never ever getting that.

That leaves a lot of free energy sources untapped - especially hydro.

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#165
post #97

Parts of the world are literally on fire but the US is redirecting money to halt renewables and towards gas. The demand for energy is higher than ever due to AI data centers, but I guess the next model is more important than a habitable environment.

It is important to keep the main issue clear. Failing to invest in renewables is an existential risk to humanity's future. Permanently shutting all Datacenters (not just AI) saves us about 1 year.

I believe you may be basing your figure on current Data Center power consumption. But - it's estimately to grow significantly:

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/doe-data-centers-...

also - 1 year is a lot, if we actually act diligently to stave the warming crisis and to prepare for some of the effects through changes to construction & infrastructure.

Still, I would agree that Data Centers are just one particular aspect of the struggle against global warming.

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#166

I fully understand why power generation is subsidised - however honesty I feel if the govt is subsidising it, they should get a cut of the profits too. I also believe in a free market, and power should be subsidised equally per MW (MWh maybe?) this takes the politics out of a structural necessity. If you want to push a political agenda - great - but do it on political topics.

A free market that avoids externalities like climate change?

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are too many interested parties involved in the energy sector. The only common sense I can think of is solar+storage at the single building level and interconnected through smart grids with neighbours. But that leaves out the government and all those interested parties so we're never ever getting that.

And in the winter in the North people are just supposed to freeze?

Supplement w/ geothermal?

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#168
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All kinds of power generation are typically heavily subdized in some way. I do not think this "common sense" strategy exists.

There are too many interested parties involved in the energy sector. The only common sense I can think of is solar+storage at the single building level and interconnected through smart grids with neighbours. But that leaves out the government and all those interested parties so we're never ever getting that.

While I do not know if the following is relevant for the Carolina Long Bay area, and while neither Republicans nor Democrats can be trusted, it is not without precedent for offshore wind turbine projects to be disallowed due to radar concerns.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/11/11/why-swe...

> Why Sweden nixed new wind farms for fear of missing Russian missiles

> BERLIN — Sweden’s government this month blocked the construction of 13 offshore wind farms over concerns that they would shorten the country’s early-warning window for a Russian missile attack.

> ...

> That is because wind farms can interact with radar signals, reducing the quality of the situational air picture or even outright blocking out parts of the sky.

Other possibilities than radar concerns is that the stopping of the project here hinders corruption, or is corrupt itself, or it moves corruption around (as in both the old project and new project was corrupt). Whatever the case, a way to avoid corruption would be helpful. Perhaps like making it market-driven and contest-driven as much as possible. Solar and wind is already significantly cost-efficient and market-driven despite their significant drawbacks like not producing energy consistently and on demand. If the main challenge is creating domestic production of wind turbines and solar cells instead of being reliant on other countries and without state support ending up being mired in corruption, perhaps some bidding and contract process that moves the financial risk onto private companies, such that the government never pays in advance, could work.

I agree with posts here saying that a mosaic or plethora of energy sources should be used. Wind, solar, fossile, nuclear (for big countries like the USA at least), geothermal, etc. In general, energy companies should not be focused on just one kind, but lots of kinds.

Re: US strikes $1.2B deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We also need to use less total energy, regardless of source. That number doesn't have to always go up.

[flagged]

Your "growth at all costs" mindset is going to kill everyone, including yourself, so it's not as simple as just moving elsewhere.
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