Last edited Mon Oct 2, 2023, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)
The gas companies know damned well that renewable energy is not an existential threat to them, and that hydrogen is really just a crappy fuel made from natural gas.
This Tesla recharging station is an example of Musk's stupid Move Fast and Break Things grift. He built this recharging station on the cheap for publicity purposes. It's possible he never intended to install overhead solar panels or an adequate connection to the California electric grid. The cost of the diesel generators and diesel fuel probably comes out of Tesla's promotional budget, damn the local air quality which is pretty horrible around Harris Ranch anyways.
I'm curious if there even plans to build an adequate connection to the electric grid and a parking lot solar system. I suspect Tesla won't until the state leans on them for the long term use of "temporary" diesel generators.
The rules for the kinds of power plants you might find powering a carnival at the county fair are quite different than the rules governing the installation of permanent power plants.
On edit: The article cited is a rat's midden of reporting. The "biggest in the world" charging station is clearly attached to California's electric grid and thus not burning diesel fuel in normal operation, but without actually visiting the site I'm not certain the connection is capable of charging 98 vehicles all at once at the expected level 3 charging levels. The next time I'm out that way I'll check it out.
The original Battery-Swap / Charging station was powered by a diesel generator behind the Shell Station and I'm optimistic that this much larger charging station also has provisions for emergency diesel power, because why wouldn't they?
An electric car powered from California's electric grid is going to have a smaller carbon footprint than a similar gasoline powered car, especially when the sun is shining.
There's also a hydrogen refill station at Harris Ranch. In a rational world that is never going to amount to anything because using hydrogen as a fuel is a bad idea for a lot of physical reasons, mostly having to do with the thermodynamics, problems that no technological breakthroughs can ever solve.
In the larger scheme of things, car culture itself is unsustainable on a planet with a human population of 8 billion no matter how the cars are powered.
Here's a link where you can explore the actual sources of electricity in California:
http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/supply.html
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