Comment by mousethatroared
2 days ago
I don't buy it
1. The technical solution relies heavily on fantasy.
2. It is not needed. We have no significant power transmission across the low lying fruit of continental America or Eurasia, and those lines are built! Why bother crossing an ocean?
3. Why not cross Greenland and the North Sea and its islands? Under sea cables are expensive.
4. Why not cross the Bearing Strait?
>not needed
There was a big solar project proposed in Australia's outback to supply Singapore but never got off the ground perhaps advances in glass / dc infrastructure could change the calculations. Same story for Sahara solar supply to Eu.
A lack of need is not the problem here.
In both those scenarios the sun and the consumer are relatively close, with the majority of the line being overland.
Solar Sahara powering Europe makes sense.
Solar Sahara powering the North East does not.
In Peace and Harmony Land™ I could see the value of shipping excess power from sunny/windy locations to those that are without, but I don't think the present world is ready to collaborate at that level.
Nukes and trade are the biggest bringers of peace.
Tell that to Iran tonight..
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