Even a renewable energy leader like Xcel, one of the first to pledge net zero emissions by mid-century, is finding it hard to end coal without adding natural gas.
As major U.S. utilities began making pledges this past year to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero, or close to it, by mid-century, one of them was already drawing up a road map to make it happen.
Minneapolis-based Xcel was the first large investor-owned utility in the country to set the goal, in December 2018, and it spent 2019 planning how to get there.
But even a leader in renewable energy like Xcel is finding it difficult to shed fossil fuels completely before the 2040s, raising questions about any utility`s ability to break from coal without adding new carbon energy in other forms, mainly natural gas.
Ken Notes: Until storage becomes cost effective, we need a bridge fuel for peak capacity and demand when renewables are not producing. We can not deny this need so we either need to create new storage tech or find the most environmentally friendly way to produce the additional power we need. Gas vs. coal - gas is the better option.
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- - Volume: 8 - WEEK: 2 Date: 1/6/2020 1:28:45 PM -