Green Energy Conundrums
The political push to force people to buy electric vehicles (EVs) has run into problems. The State of California has decreed that no fossil-fueled vehicles will be allowed to be sold in the state after 2035. About a dozen other states that have linked their vehicle emission rules to the “California Standard” are now legally obligated to follow whatever regulations California adopts.
Left unconsidered in this bold stride toward clean energy is how enough electricity to power the growing number of EVs these rules will mandate. Right now only 1% of the vehicles on the road are EVs. Even with this paltry number the California Government is advising EV owners not to recharge their cars during peak demand periods lest they cause the power grid to fail.
EVs aren't the only threat to the power grid. Homeowners' preference for running their air conditioners at comfortable settings is also posing a danger of grid failure. In Denver, the local provider of electricity has taken control over the thermostats of 22,000 customers who signed up for the Colorado AC Rewards program. These customers receive a $100 credit for enrolling in the program plus a $25 annual bonus for remaining in the program. Due to an “energy emergency” their thermostats could not be turned to a temperature any lower than 78 degrees.
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm called “centralized thermostat control an integral measure for preventing climate change. When you think about it, the idea that individuals should be allowed to control their home's thermostat is crazy. We can't allow selfish individuals to consume as much electricity as they're willing to pay for. They don't have the knowledge necessary for making a socially optimal choice. The government needs to dole out the appropriate quantity of electricity to each person based on their value to the social collective. Air conditioning is a luxury, not a necessity. People have a biological evap-cooler we call sweat. If there isn't enough electricity to go around what little there is must be reserved for more important uses like heating and cooling government buildings and the homes of important government officials.”
By John Semmens
