Cost to build new gas plants...

[dan_b]

... has more than tripled since 2022, making renewables cheaper now.

https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/costs-t ... ra-energy/

There's also a growing backlog due to increased demand.

So build more renewables. They're cheaper, and more readily available.

[MikeNovack]

... has more than tripled since 2022, making renewables cheaper now.

https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/costs-t ... ra-energy/
There's also a growing backlog due to increased demand.

So build more renewables. They're cheaper, and more readily available.

UH .... but consider the REASON (why costing so much more.

Now that means say solar plus battery might become a financially competitive alternative, but misses the point that gas plants are costing more BECAUSE SO MANY BEING BUILT. (and so competing for a place in the line to get a turbine built -- no deals on a giant gas fired turbine)

Also unclear what would happen to the price of the price of large scale solar plus battery systems if increased competition for components jumped because everyone trying to build those instead. These are not fixed things, but in dynamic equilibrium.

BESIDES -- ignores the real problem of why more plants are needed. Yes renewables taking on a greater percentage of energy production but the total being generated still going up. We are consuming too much, too many of us.

[Ken]

Firstly the article is US based where RE is having a hard time but willing to accept gas.

I am not aware of anyone building a gas plant in the UK ? There will always be a small % of gas required in the form of standby and peaker plants but clearly we already have enough gas plants to cover that. Our gas use is dropping nicely. There is no shortage of PV potential and one has to wonder why we do not see more of it. I am not sure that NESO/Nat Grid are supportive of it because in most cases it is behind the meter and cannot be controlled.

[dan_b]

Something to do with the rapid growth of Ai data centres and their enormous power requirements?

[Mart]

Also unclear what would happen to the price of the price of large scale solar plus battery systems if increased competition for components jumped because everyone trying to build those instead. These are not fixed things, but in dynamic equilibrium.

Both PV and battery system install rates worldwide have been scaling up rapidly for 15yrs, but the cost has continued to fall rapidly, not increase. These technologies, unlike large gas builds, are dependent on ever larger and better mass production factories. Chinese PV production capacity remains far greater than Chinese PV production.

And whilst US protectionist policies may impact Chinese PV panel imports, the US itself has now reached 50GW of PV production scale.

The US also has its own large battery storage production facility in the form of Tesla's Lathrop Megapack factory. The costs of Megapacks has continued to fall all of this decade, and is now scaled to 40GWh pa. Their Chinese Megapacktory is now operational, and scaling, so that will take away some of the demand from the US factory. Also Tesla is building an additional Megapacktory in Texas.

[Ken]

PV panels made by robots v gas power plants by humans - no contest.

[Mart]

PV panels made by robots v gas power plants by humans - no contest.

And then installed by robots, perhaps?

There are several being tested, here's an example:

Leapting rolls out PV module-mounting robot

To misquote George Taylor (Charlton Heston) - "Take your stinking mechanical manipulators off me PV panels, you damned dirty robot!"

[Moxi]

Good misquote!

Moxi