RBE Villages Trust

Welcome!

Welcome to our forum dedicated to the visionary ideas of Itančan Wašaka, the author behind the transformative guide on creating self-sustaining, cooperative villages.
This community space is inspired by Wašaka's extensive experience with various communities and his dedication to establishing resilient, resource-based economies.

Hide Intro Register
0

Drivers of US Energy Grid Saturation

Avatar
Itančan Wašaka
Energy

Main Causes:

  1. Industrial electrification: automation, info tracking …
  2. Massive A/C usage from heat waves all across US
  3. AI data centers have increased dramatically and use small city size electricity

EVs are a coming threat but of minimal impact yet as usage is so low. Compare to A/C.

Need to nationally prioritize expanding grid capacity

  • Takes far too long to put in new transmission line capacity
  • Transmission companies do not have capital access for significant expansion
  • Mired in local regulation: state and local level
  • Opposed by people who do not want transmission lines near them.
  • Watch out for self interested players gaming system running roughshod over residents
  • Stop prioritizing business growth over quality of residents lives. Let the people decide priorities on a national scale.

Need to move to micro-grids ASAP

  • Takes residential and local municipal load off grid.
  • This has long been a federal backed initiative
  • Heavily blocked by energy industry, utilities, and local regulations
  • EV battery technology makes solar use effective. There now, getting cheaper fast.
  • Neighborhood solar farms are effective and economic from a half dozen houses to big neighborhoods.
  • Micro-nuclear reactors are effective on a neighborhood level. Think what a nuclear carrier can power. And, the neighborhood does not need to cruise at 35 MPH, and each person needs far less energy than the average of the 5,000 people on a carrier. Modern micro-nuclear uses liquid salt reactors (no cores, no waste, no meltdowns). Our Nuclear Regulatory Agency however is so far behind the technology, it will be years before this can be enabled. The NRC has been working on revised regs for 5 years now. It expects it will bring the process from 15+ years to 5 for micro reactors. Still not an immediate solutions, but a good intermediate one. Of course, the current infrastructure fights this tooth and nail.
  • Imagine local energy use all off grid. It is practical within a few years, as EVs ramp up.
  • We need to control runaway industrial electrical usage, especially with minimal social benefit like crypto mining, AI datacenters, FinTech data mining.


Avatar
Descartar