Energy

There are multiple strategies for reducing global climate change. Right now, the real question is whether or not these strategies are effective.

For: One of the most common strategies is to eventually eliminate greenhouse gas emitting power generation and switch to a 100% renewable blend of wind, solar, and hydro (some also include nuclear because it does not emit greenhouse gases). This solution seems like a great idea: wind and solar are free resources, and hydro is easily replenished via rain and snowmelt. Power is produced from these resources, which is then used by the end consumer. Combining wind and solar with hydro and nuclear, it can be very easy to offset times when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not out with power from dams and nuclear plants. Governments around the world are pushing for this solution by subsidizing the costs for wind and solar: without the subsidies, the costs are more expensive than coal and natural gas, but with the subsidies, wind and solar are by far cheaper (where they need to be to enact this sort of change). As generation blends move towards 100% renewable resources, more and more coal and natural gas plants will be taken offline, reducing the impacts on the global climate.

Against: As legislation is enacted in various jurisdictions, the timelines that are set are at unrealistic paces. An example of this would be the state of California and trying to be off greenhouse gas emitting power by 2050. Already, they have strict goals of how much power has to come from renewable resources, and as they bring those resources online, they are shuttering other plants, starting with the most expensive, nuclear (instead of shuttering coal or natural gas plants). In doing so, they have eliminated a great source of carbon-free energy but have left online massive greenhouse gas emitting plants, all in the name of economics, and not the climate. When the wind and solar plants are not or cannot run, these coal and gas plants have to work even harder to generate all of the electricity that Californians rely on every day. Combine this with poor water management of their hydro projects, and it is a recipe for disaster, all while trying to “go green”. More carbon is emitted, which in turn increases the rate at which climate change is occurring. The policies in place sounded good on paper, but in practice were anything but.

When it comes to carbon trading, the way in which it is implemented is inherently flawed. The developed nations which have created most of the greenhouse gases (and are the same ones that can most efficiently and economically reduce their emissions) are the ones that essentially have to pay the least amount of money for it. Developing nations are instead left footing the bill because they have produced less emissions, but it costs them more to reduce their emissions because they do not have the same technological advances that the developed nations have.

Which strategy for reducing climate change is the best? In my opinion, the best solution would be to figure out a way to harness the “free” energies (wind and solar), supplement with nuclear and hydro power, and push for a global electric grid. By sharing the generation and load across all countries, all countries will benefit. Developed nations will be able to help out the developing ones, and climate change will potentially be reduced, assuming we act quick enough (in the next quarter century).

What do  trees and power lines have in common?

Yes, a lot of utility poles are made from trees (wood poles are a lot cheaper and easier to set). But what you may not realize is that trees are one of the biggest causes of power line damage, which results in power outages.

While we all love to look at these giants living in our communities, they can pose problems for the power grid. During storm seasons (usually in the fall/winter), many power outages are caused by falling branches and trees. If a wind storm happens before the trees have lost their leaves, those leaves start to act as sails, catching the wind. This flexes the branch, causing it to snap and potentially be carried into the power lines. When the branch makes contact with more than one power line, whether it be phase-to-phase or phase-to-neutral, current will flow through the branch and cause protective devices to operate (the fuse to blow or the breaker to trip).

After the protective devices operate, that branch may continue to fall to the ground. Should the power stay out? Of course not! Depending on the settings, some protective devices will reclose after 10 to 20 seconds, restoring power to those customers. This is what is usually happening when you lose power and it comes back in a short period of time. Is it annoying? Sometimes (how do you reset the clock on your oven again?). But these protective devices are saving the equipment that powers the electric grid as well as preventing damage to household electronics.

Now, what if that branch stays in contact with the power lines? The recloser will still operate, but the protective devices will sense the current flow not being correct, and will operate again, locking out until a person can physically reset them. Again, this is to prevent further damage.

I've talked about branches, now let's take things up a notch and talk about trees. These big fellas do a lot more damage to the power lines, usually snapping them in two pieces. When that happens, sometimes the wires come in contact with the ground, causing a phase-to-ground fault. The same protective actions above will take place and a crew will need to be dispatched to fix the broken wire. (If you have overhead power lines, you can usually tell how many times a line has broken by looking for the splices, aka "pickles", on the line between the poles.

Moving away from storms and wind damage, another major cause of outages from trees is when a tree literally grows into the power line. Most power lines (both distribution and transmission) are located in rights-of-way which are kept clear of trees and large brush. But sometimes trees start growing in between scheduled maintenance clearings (usually done every 5 or so years). Some trees can grow by as much as 5 feet a month! And if one of these trees grows roots right under a power line, it can be making contact in less than a year, causing an unexpected outage.

Utilities do their best to maintain power to communities. They want to keep as many trees as possible, but at the same time, they also have to keep the electricity flowing to customers. Their employees take great pride in the work they do, often going out in the middle of storms, taking time away from their families, to restore power to customers. These are often thankless jobs that we take for granted, and I am extremely proud of our utility workers!