Replies to post #15139 on The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[OakesCS]

i'm not so sure that 'rate structure' would be sufficient.

The United States currently consumes in the neighborhood of 4E12 kWh/yr of electricity and 1.4E11 gallons gasoline/yr. If gasoline consumption were cut 50% and we take a gasoline equivalent of 33.4 kWh/gal, then we need an additional 2.4E12 kWh/yr of electrical power generation. That's conservative because there will be losses of efficiency in the battery charging and usage. So we'd need somewhere in the neighborhood of a 75% increase in electrical power generation. The electrical power system isnt going to handle that kind of increase without some serious additional infrastructure.

As you pointed out the vehicle charging periods would be during what is now 'off peak' so there would be a leveling of the peak but it would be thru raising the valley rather than lowering the peak and since solar panels dont work so well at night that extra fuel has to come from somewhere else. It would be natural gas so a high energy density carbon fuel would be replaced by a low energy density carbon fuel. Yippee.

I'm sure utility companies would indeed love that situation but i doubt it would be beneficial for most consumers.