• bluGill@fedia.io
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      1 day ago

      No real surprise to anyone watching the alternatives take over. Last year my utility told me that the previous year (ie 2023) they generated more power from wind than all customers combined used. California has been building a lot of solar. Texas leads the nation in wind, with Iowa and Kansas both having large installations. There is still a lot of room to go in transport, but for most people EVs would cover everything they do with minimal impact (on road trips they will still need long recharging times, but not unreasonably long) The writing has long been on the wall for most fossil fuels. Anyone who pays attention to the economic factors involved has long known this.

      Most fossil fuels is not all. For sea and air transport we still don’t have a useful option. Long distance freight over land is possible, but requires large investments and it isn’t clear what is the best investment is. there are other industrial processes that still need fossil fuels. However the vast majority of energy the US uses today would be cheaper long term using renewable sources than the current ones and that is driving investment in switching.

      • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyz
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        24 hours ago

        Long distance freight over land is possible, but requires large investments and it isn’t clear what is the best investment is.

        Trains? I mean what other viable way is there to transport goods over large distances?

        • bluGill@fedia.io
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          23 hours ago

          Trains, and trucks. Trains can run from overhead wire but so far that has remained too expensive to be worth installing. Trucks are also significant and it isn’t clear what we should do about them (there are many options, but what it the right one isn’t clear)

          • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyz
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            23 hours ago

            The EU has a lower GDP and more train tracks by length in the EU than in the US, by far. Not to speak of China. The US was built on train tracks in the first place.

            Trucks are not ideal for long distance transit, they are much more expensive. Even diesel trains are much more efficient than trucks.

            • bluGill@fedia.io
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              23 hours ago

              The EU sends far less freight over rail than the US.

              Trucks have limitations, but their door to door ability it a nice win for some applications. Trucks are not that much less efficient than trains when you account for door to door and differences in freight types.