<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">On Sat, Jan 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM <<a href="mailto:spike@rainier66.com">spike@rainier66.com</a>> wrote:</span></div></div><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><span style="font-size:13.5pt"><i style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">> </span>The costs quoted do not include the cost of energy storage needed to meet reliability specifications.</font></i></span></blockquote><div><br></div><font size="4" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>I grant you that, but when it comes to comparing the costs that AI data centers need to pay for electricity, energy storage is not a factor because regardless of where they get their energy <span class="gmail_default" style="">from </span>they can't have <span class="gmail_default" style=""><u>ANY</u></span> interruption of it whatsoever, at the very least they're going to need to operate their data center for several hours on battery power so it can be shut down gracefully and not catastrophically. No matter if you're using gas turbines or nuclear power or solar power or wind power<span class="gmail_default" style="">, </span>you're going to need battery backup. The storage cost is already baked in so the intermittency disadvantage <span class="gmail_default" style="">of </span>solar and wind largely disappears<span class="gmail_default" style="">.</span></b></font></div><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b><br></b></font></div><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><font size="4"><b style=""><span class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">John K Clark</font></span><br></b></font><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><br></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><br></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><br></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-8861947379212943501"><div lang="EN-US" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="m_-8861947379212943501WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><div style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt solid rgb(225,225,225);padding:3pt 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> John Clark <<a href="mailto:johnkclark@gmail.com" target="_blank">johnkclark@gmail.com</a>> <br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Trump Is Obsessed With Oil, but Chinese Batteries Will Soon Run the World<u></u><u></u></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 9:50 PM <<a href="mailto:spike@rainier66.com" target="_blank">spike@rainier66.com</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><blockquote style="border-top:none;border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:1pt solid rgb(204,204,204);padding:0in 0in 0in 6pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt">Coal plants are not at all complicated.  All the equipment to make those go are with us.</span></i><u></u><u></u></p></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Because of advances in technology, coal</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> is no longer an economically competitive way <span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault">of</span> producing<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"> </span>electrical<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"> </span>energy<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault">. </span> </span></b><u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">A </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">new <span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault">new</span> <u>coal</u> </span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">p</span></u></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">ower plant </span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">would </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">produce electrical</span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">energy </span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">at a</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> cost</span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">between<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><u> </u></span><u>$69 and $169</u> per megawatt-hou<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault">r.</span></span></b><u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">W</span></u></b></span><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">ind</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> costs <u>$27 to $53</u> per MWh</span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">.</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> </span></b><u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">S</span></u></b></span><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">olar</span></u></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> costs between</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> <u>$38 to $78</u> per megawatt-hour</span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">.</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> </span></b><u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Natural </span></b></span><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">gas</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> turbines<span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"> between</span> <u>$48 to $109</u></span></b><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><u><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">.</span></u></b></span><u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">John K Clark<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">John these are the numbers Californians were told as well.  But the power company disputed them, saying the cost of intermittent unpredictable power generation grows dramatically once the percentage goes over about 15 to 16%.  The costs quoted do not include the cost of energy storage needed to meet reliability specifications.<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">The political literature used comparisons with Washington state, which has the dams on the Columbia River and nice steady reliable wind blowing thru the Columbia River Gorge.  California has nothing analogous to that.<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">We still see examples of the conflation of power generation and power storage, as is seen in the title of this thread, as well as politicization of technology.<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">We learned over the past decade that the power company was telling the truth.  But the truth is more complicated than the subtleties the politicians were able to sell.  In politics, simplicity sells.  In technology, the best solution is often complicated.<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">spike<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="m_-8861947379212943501gmaildefault"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></span></p></div><blockquote style="border-top:none;border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:1pt solid rgb(204,204,204);padding:0in 0in 0in 6pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></p></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div>