Wind energy bumps into power grid's limits

Clean energy's dirty secret is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.
(From The New York Times)

The story "Wind energy bumps into power grid's limits" published August 28, 2008 at 12:19 PM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[smist08]

I just returned from a Baltic cruise and was stunned by the number of wind turbines along the Baltic coast. Holland, Denmark, Germany, Finland already generate a huge amount of electricity this way. Often you see a huge wind farm next to an abandoned coal plant, probably just a good place to attach to the grid. I'm amazed that North America has gotten so far behind.

[evan1138]

While it's true that there will be power distribution issues as different power sources are introduced, it doesn't warrant the sturm und drang of this article.

Power distribution is by and large a science. For example, little-used technology such as high voltage DC power distribution, significantly more efficient than AC over long distances, is ideal for transporting power from remote areas such as the Dakotas. This approach is understood and achievable but has been used rarely since carbon-burning power plants can be sited close to where they are needed.

Real news, for example, that solar cells now exist for 40% efficiency, courtesy if Sharp. By comparison, moving power around the country is by comparison just engineering and politics.