18 votes

Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity

3 comments

  1. PuddleOfKittens
    Link
    This is really smart, IMO - a big cultural problem renewables face is switching everyone from conserving all Watts to conserving the scarce Watts. And people don't react to 'cheap' anywhere near...

    This is really smart, IMO - a big cultural problem renewables face is switching everyone from conserving all Watts to conserving the scarce Watts. And people don't react to 'cheap' anywhere near as strongly as they do to free. If this makes people switch their usage habits, it could reduce the demand for off-peak generation, I.e. gas and batteries, thereby making more renewables possible in the short term.

    12 votes
  2. [2]
    snake_case
    Link
    This is cool of course but what I’m really itching for is electricity at a flat rate because maintaining the infrastructure is the cost instead of actually producing electricity. Right now, both...

    This is cool of course but what I’m really itching for is electricity at a flat rate because maintaining the infrastructure is the cost instead of actually producing electricity.

    Right now, both things cost, and rates are rising in the US as people use less electricity. The cost model is all screwed.

    3 votes
    1. skybrian
      Link Parent
      On our electric bill, the cost of actually generating the electricity is already quite a bit lower than the delivery charge.

      On our electric bill, the cost of actually generating the electricity is already quite a bit lower than the delivery charge.

      1 vote