Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time • Hacker News Board

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#251

Post by Retric » Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 9:41 PM UTC

leonidasrup wrote: post #244

mcmoor wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a lot of ocean, but limited shores. I guess that's the only economical place to build it, but of course it blocks scenery. If people truly built it in open ocean, less people will complain.

"It is very hard to build robust and secure wind farms in water deeper than around 200 feet (~60 m)" https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersect...

That’s ~true for now but keep the date someone said it in mind. It’s really easy to keep thinking technical limitations still true when they are wildly out of date.

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#252

Post by toomuchtodo » Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 9:51 PM UTC

idiotsecant wrote: post #249

bryanlarsen wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California? The state that hasn't had a blackout since 2020, the state with the lowest wholesale electricity cost, by far? https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/30/california-lowest-whole...

California doesn't have rolling blackouts because they created an entire energy market expressly devoted to feeding carbon intensive power into california to cover the many, many, many required MWh that californian solar can't address. This isn't a matter of opinion, you can look at the CAISO power flow statistics online.

Your comments are in direct contradiction with easily accessible facts on California’s generation mix.

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#253

Post by bryanlarsen » Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 10:17 PM UTC

idiotsecant wrote: post #249

bryanlarsen wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California? The state that hasn't had a blackout since 2020, the state with the lowest wholesale electricity cost, by far? https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/30/california-lowest-whole...

California doesn't have rolling blackouts because they created an entire energy market expressly devoted to feeding carbon intensive power into california to cover the many, many, many required MWh that californian solar can't address. This isn't a matter of opinion, you can look at the CAISO power flow statistics online.

Yes, California is a good model for a modern grid. Lots of natural gas capacity, very little natural gas usage.

> many, many, many required MWh

Many MW, few MWh.

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#254

Post by zimmund » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 3:19 AM UTC

NooneAtAll3 wrote: post #29

SubiculumCode wrote: post #2

Oil next.

USA became top 1 oil exporter, so we'll see how that goes

they'll run out of countries to invade (or to sell oil to) at some point, so green alternatives will -eventually- prevail...

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#255

Post by jkrejcha » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 5:24 AM UTC

Kaliboy wrote: post #141

harmmonica wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is very interesting and helpful info! I guess my fantasy is that a standard electrical panel would eventually have a literal plug on it where you could plug a larger system in, just as you would an outlet in the balcony situation, and then it would I think be, using your word, in "front" of the "fuse" (using quotes because I'm not sure I have the behind/in front of language correct, and when you use fuse here in…

The post you replied to isn't fully correct. I'll tell you how you could do this in many ways that prevents the fuse problem. There's 3 ways to run solar. Grid tied, grid backed and off grid. I live on a farm and am off grid. The solar inverter is my "utility". After the inverter I have my main breaker. The inverter makes 5 kW max at 230 volts, so my fuse is 5000/230 = 20 amps. I'm outside the US, regulation is a sug…

Worth noting that in the US mains is split phase so we get in 240 V with 2 supply lines (large appliances can use 240 V) that give us 2 120 V lines

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#256

Post by idiotsecant » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 5:51 AM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #252

idiotsecant wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California doesn't have rolling blackouts because they created an entire energy market expressly devoted to feeding carbon intensive power into california to cover the many, many, many required MWh that californian solar can't address. This isn't a matter of opinion, you can look at the CAISO power flow statistics online.

Your comments are in direct contradiction with easily accessible facts on California’s generation mix.

As of this moment less than 20% of California's load is satisfied by renewables, per the CAISO website. What facts, exactly, are you trying to point out?

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#257

Post by leonidasrup » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 8:57 AM UTC

Retric wrote: post #251

leonidasrup wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"It is very hard to build robust and secure wind farms in water deeper than around 200 feet (~60 m)" https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersect...

That’s ~true for now but keep the date someone said it in mind. It’s really easy to keep thinking technical limitations still true when they are wildly out of date.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_wind_turbine

The biggest is Hywind Tampen, Max. water depth 300 m

NOK 8 billion ($730 million; $8.3m/MW)

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#258

Post by leonidasrup » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 9:06 AM UTC

triceratops wrote: post #248

leonidasrup wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Top oil field equipment suppliers and manufacturers in the world are from: France, Switzerland, US, UK, Norway https://www.blackridgeresearch.com/blog/list-top-global-oilf...

And what about the suppliers of those manufacturers?

You would need to do full supply chain analysis. Probably only one doing full supply chain analysis is Pentagon. They had experts for this kind of work.

"How The CIA Secretly Bought Soviet Titanium To Build The SR-71 Blackbird"

https://simpleflying.com/how-cia-secretly-bought-soviet-tita...

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#259

Post by bryanlarsen » Sat, Jun 13, 2026, 9:02 PM UTC

idiotsecant wrote: post #256

toomuchtodo wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comments are in direct contradiction with easily accessible facts on California’s generation mix.

As of this moment less than 20% of California's load is satisfied by renewables, per the CAISO website. What facts, exactly, are you trying to point out?

I just looked, and it said 86.4%. And when you look closer it's actually > 100%. Batteries are at -4.5MW (aka they're charging), and non-renewables are contributing only a couple of MW.

Re: Solar generates more energy in US than coal for first time

#260

Post by rtkwe » Thu, Jun 18, 2026, 9:48 PM UTC

TitaRusell wrote: post #223

rtkwe wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True though one of the major things they have been able to do because it's mostly in the federal purview is killing offshore wind.

This is hilarious to me. In my country people prefer to have wind turbines 20 kilometres off the coast line instead of near their house... Offshore wind is the perfect NIMBY solution.

The US does have a lot more extra space than most countries and coastal properties are often pretty touchy about the turbines being on the horizon imagining they will be ugly and disruptive to their views.