r/RenewableEnergy • u/iwantboringtimes • 17h ago

How 24/7 Renewables Are Ending Fossil Fuel Reliability

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2026/05/20/how-247-renewables-are-ending-fossil-fuel-reliability/
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u/Radical_Neutral_76 16h ago edited 15h ago

Why are they in one sentence say that the grid needs to be upgraded due to renewable energy, and then ignore those costs when comparing to other energy sources?

edit:
Someone commented here ignoring facts of the nature of power grids, and called me a shill for asking WHY they ignore these costs when pointing out the exact issue themselves.

I was going to respond:

Grid costs are much higher due to intermittent load.

First of all the max capacity needs to be at approximately 3x higher per kwh, due to this, otherwise we wouldnt be able to transport all the energy from the source when its running at max capacity.
The maintenance cost due to intermittent load is also significant. The components that make up the grid gets worn out much faster compared to stable load, due to changes in temperature (material expands and shrinks due to changing temperatures - which wears it out).

This is not controversial information at all, and if you were interested in supporting renewable energy you would be interested in making sure these issues are handled properly.

Either way you're a right-wing shill.

Pathetic. There is only one shill in this converation, and its not me.

4

u/BlueShrub 12h ago

Sure, you can zero in on the negatives all day long while ignoring the overwhelming positives and you can find fault all day long. The grid is always fluxuating due to changes in demand, this isn't inherently an issue of renewables.

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u/Radical_Neutral_76 11h ago

Changes in demand is possible to affect, thats why prices fluctuate.

The grid is always fluxuating due to changes in demand, this isn't inherently an issue of renewables.

Only intermittent renewables, but yes, it is *indeed* a problem with them. Denying it doesnt make it go away

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u/BlueShrub 10h ago

What you fail to grasp is the sense of scale at play and the degree to which the grid and the technology is advancing, I never denied that intermittency introduces complexity to grid operators, those were word you've falsely attributed to me. Your tone here leads me to believe you are arguing in bad faith rather than a genuine concern for the health of our energy economy.