All Solar, Et Al, In 12 Years?

[Randolph Kinney]

Now the states must also have ...

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs. Read More About LIHEAP

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/liheap

 

[Meandering]

Frackers face big cash crunch this fall: Survey

Oil experts forecast crude prices will decline this fall to levels where many shale producers could be unable to make money, and some see prices staying very low through the end of the year, according to a new CNBC Oil Survey .

The survey also found that 43 percent see a break-even price for the U.S. shale industry of $45 to $55 per barrel, well below where many expect prices in the next couple of months.

Another 24 percent estimated the level where drillers make money is even higher - at $55 to $65 per barrel. But 20 percent see break-even prices at $45 or less and half of those see them below $35 per barrel.

"This is a pretty tough market, and lower prices are going to rebalance it," said IHS Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin. "We see a tough couple of quarters for producers...next spring demand is going to go down again."

As for Brent, 71 percent see prices this fall of between $40 and $50 per barrel. Thirty-six percent expect it to reach $50 to $60 by year end, while 32 percent expect it to rise to between $60 and $70. Another 32 percent see Brent between $40 and $50 at year end.

"The stunning fact is that Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the U.S. together added 2 million barrels a day to world oil supply since the price collapsed," said Yergin. "And this is even before Iran came back to the market."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/frackers-face-big-cash-crunch-102000022.html

No, no, no.
We built this industry so that we did not have to import from around the world, and were not reliant on world supply and prices. It's ours, all ours, and is not dependent upon world supply/demand and prices. We drill it to keep us safe from Middle East policies.

At least that's what they tell us when they want to drill.

.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Another 24 percent estimated the level where drillers make money is even higher - at $55 to $65 per barrel. But 20 percent see break-even prices at $45 or less and half of those see them below $35 per barrel.

Utter joke to think the total cost (leases, G & G, drilling and completion) will be below $50. Sand Ridge is less than 60¢. Bleeding, bleeding. And nat gas worse. In the Marcellus, some are pricing natural gas at 55¢ per MCF... an utter disaster for mineral owners as well as oil drillers.

 

[Meandering]

You know, but this is what they are feeding the public.

Invest, invest, invest, ooops, sorry you lost it all.

 

[Riick]

According to this Texan, fracking still profitable, and low cost gas will lead us to a Solar Energy future.
Been reading him since 2000, and though optimistic, he's no dreamer.
LINK

.

 

[Meandering]

Solar only works where there is usually sunshine.

That aint everywhere.

And even where sunshine happens usually,

Forest fire smoke must be blocking out that sunshine, never mind the build up of soot, dirt and other fire related debris that are settling on western states.

.

 

[Riick]

Solar only works where there is usually sunshine.

That aint everywhere.

And even where sunshine happens usually,..........
.

Actually the kicker is the cost of solar power per kilowatt-hour is dropping dramatically;
IF we get some equally dramatic improvement in energy storage technology (Batteries)
we won't have to be (nearly as) concerned with nighttime, less winter sunshine, cloud cover, etc., etc.
Nothing ever arrives as a mature technology.

 

[Meandering]

Sure you do.

Just because you suddenly can't make enough electricity, ditto, the electric utility can not just fire up and send enough for everyone's needs.

Just because it's a bright sunny day, doesn't mean the electric utility can just gear down and sit on the energy everyone is sending them until it's needed back.

the improvement needs to be, not with the solar panels, but with the ability of the utility company to power up and power down in shorter cycles.

.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Solar is not going to be affordable now or the near term future. Many things have to change before the average utility user can afford solar.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

California utilities copy Arizona utilities’ solar-panel fees

When Arizona regulators allowed the state’s biggest utility to charge a special fee on residential customers with solar panels in 2013, the decision was groundbreaking. Now utilities across the country are making similar moves.

This month, two major California utilities copied the rooftop solar fees used by Arizona Public Service Co. and Salt River Project.

Southern California Edison announced its proposal to the Public Utilities Commission Aug. 3. It is essentially the same proposal Arizona regulators will consider this week from APS: a monthly $3-per-kilowatt fee based on the capacity of a customer’s solar panels.

That means a customer with a 4-kilowatt system pays $12 a month and one with a 10-kilowatt system pays $30.

SCE’s proposal goes a step further than the current APS plan and tweaks the net-metering calculation in which customers get credit for power they send to the grid.

Rather than credit customers one full retail kilowatt hour for every one they send to the grid, SCE wants to compensate customers based on what that power would cost to purchase from other sources.

SCE proposes 7 cents a kilowatt hour, plus 1 cent per kilowatt hour to recognize the renewable-power’s contribution to state requirements.

That 8 cents per kilowatt hour is less than the “super off-peak” rate of 11 cents per kilowatt charged by the utility for residential power, and much less than the 36-46 cents charged for on-peak power by that utility.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/mone...-arizona-utilities-solar-panel-fees/31877997/

It should be obvious that consumers that paid big bucks for solar panels justified by net metering and projected rate increases on everyone not using solar are getting the bone, now.

As more of the customer base went rooftop solar, the less profitable the utility becomes, more rate increases are imposed on the electricity used. So now comes the sudden realization that solar is a money loser to the utility for those who get the free non-daylight ride. Solution? Start charging a connect fee plus paying less for rooftop electricity sold to the utility than what the utility sells electricity for.

The stupidity is believing a rooftop solar system can be economical and compete with the economy of scale of utilities for cost of production, maintenance, transmission and overhead.

Want to beat the system? Disconnect from the grid. That ain't cheap and it will not be cheaper than the economy of scale production of a utility. You can save the overhead and transmission cost.