SUMMARY:
"Deep decarbonization"
includes electrification
of all residential buildings
commercial buildings,
and industrial power
needs.
The ultimate goal
is replacing the use
of natural gas, propane
heating oil and coal.
There are
at least two
important
commercial
applications
where
electricity
can't compete
with the fuels
they now use:
(1)
Production of steel,
from iron ore,
in a blast furnace.
Steel is Iron
alloyed
with carbon
( around 1% ).
Blast furnace fuel
is “coke” ( a form
of processed coal ).
The electric
alternative
to a blast furnace
is the arc furnace.
Arc furnaces
produce steel
mainly from
recycled scrap.
In blast furnaces,
using iron ore,
the coke ( coal )
supplies the carbon.
Arc furnaces
get their carbon
from the scrap
and/or
operators
must add
some carbon
to achieve the
steel recipe
they're making.
Blast furnaces
can be gigantic.
Arc furnaces
tend to be small.
and
(2)
Commercial flying,
where jet fuel remains
the only practical choice.
Electric airplanes
do exist, and are
already being used
commercially,
but only for
VERY
short trips
The alleged
environmental and
economic benefits
of full scale
electrification
are highly
doubtful.
The drive for
full industrial
electrification
is undermining
our market
economy.
To create
the strongest
U.S. economy,
the right answer
is to remove
all subsidies,
mandates, and
other forms of
energy favoritism,
letting energy
technologies
advance,
or fail,
in markets,
based on
true merits.
DETAILS:
This article is about
commercial needs
for power.
According to the
National Academies
of Science ( NAS ),
natural gas provides
the largest portion
of U.S. industrial
energy use overall.
Different industries
have very different
energy intensities,
and requirements
Energy costs
account for
vastly different
proportions of
total production
costs.
Industries reliant
on digital controls,
such as computer
chip manufacturers,
require ‘perfect power’,
zero harmonic distortion
and voltage/frequency
variation.
That requires electricity.
High quality
electricity
can also be
produced
on-site using
natural gas-fueled
combined heat
and power (CHP).
Industries that
just need heat
are served
well by
inexpensive
natural gas.
While the cost
of renewables
have been declining,
fossil-fuel equipment,
and the fossil fuels
themselves, are also
becoming cheaper.
Oil and gas costs,
can be locked-in
for months, years,
or longer, to remove
price risk.
Adding renewables
has NOT lowered
overall retail electricity
prices for any sector.
The EIA says
the opposite is true:
Electricity prices
are increasing from
the increasing use
of renewables.
Industrial consumers
usually choose the
most affordable energy,
if they have a choice.
Government-imposed
industrial electrification
in the U.S. will lower
the probability of
manufacturing jobs
returning to the U.S.,
from overseas.
Labor costs and
regulations, especially
environmental regulations,
also affect profitability.
"EMISSIONS LEAKAGE"
Forced electrification,
and other environmental
regulations, cause
industries to shut down,
or move elsewhere.
Business flight has
real environmental
impacts, often called
"emissions leakage".
Renewable
energy policies
are in place
in Europe.
They are just starting
to spread in the U.S.
These policies accelerate
the shift of manufacturing
to Asia, Africa and South
America.
A manufacturer
who moves to Asia,
or expands in Asia
rather than expanding
in the U.S.,
is likely to cause
higher CO2 emissions,
not to mention having
fewer manufacturing
jobs in the U.S.
Because jobs
are moved to,
or new jobs
are created in,
countries with
less stringent
environmental
regulations.
At the least,
there will be higher
carbon emissions
from transporting
the manufactured
products over
long distances,
perhaps from Asia
to the U.S.
Exporting
industrial
emissions
out of the U.S.,
and increasing
total global
CO2 emissions,
makes no sense
environmentally,
or economically.
Forced
commercial
electrification
encourages
emissions leakage
to other nations.
that do not force
industries into
"electrification".