Originally Posted by
SonicFlyer
I have no problem with renewables, except for the fact they are being shoved down our throat by the government in order to push a socialist agenda. But yeah once the technology gets viable I would love to have a wind turbine, and solar on my property in order to live off the grid. Geothermal too. But it shouldn't be mandated or subsidized.
As for fusion, yeah, that will be a game changer for humanity like fire, the wheel, the printing press, the car, and electricity itself. Essentially unlimited and nearly free energy. I think we'll have it within 50 years.
Production is only a portion of energy cost. Transmission and distribution make up the balance. By some estimates production may be as little as 1/2 to 1/3 of the end user cost for a kWh of electricity. If you are paying 12 cents per kWh, "free" fusion energy drops the user price to 6-9 cents per kWh.
WRT abandoning fossil fuels, there is good progress on the energy replacement front, but less progress on non energy uses. Plastics, steel, asphalt and lubricants are just a few products that come to mind. IMHO, the forced conversion to clean energy isn't purely about energy, it's about control. I don't like it.