Achievable Solar in Real Numbers
The smartest electrical grid is the one with the fewest losses and the most reliability. Shorter distances yield the first, and distributed generation yields the second goal. The best form of local power is wind and solar. Craig Rose, in the Nation, writes on some projects and the associated costs and political issues.
In Minnesota, a study of new transmission capability needs found that the money spent to build enough grid to bring wind-powered current from North Dakota, at $1.7 billion, would suffice to build 600 megawatts of local wind turbine installations without needing any new lines. And there would be less power lost, as a bonus. Better yet, it would mean a more robust grid system, with less demand on a few large lines, thus higher reliability.
