Renewable energy and political connections
Added 2026-01-29 23:05:04 +0000 UTCYeah that's not the YT title of course but... yeah.
YT link: https://youtu.be/KtQ9nt2ZeGM
The unlisted version which ends at the fake-out doesn't exist yet. I'm gonna do captions this time in Premiere which is annoying and fiddly but will make that an easy job for the 2nd version. I hope to release this tomorrow.
As I said in my last update: if the last third upsets you to the point of cancelling your membership, no hard feelings. Cancel at will.
Oh, also, for anyone watching who might ask why I didn't talk about nuclear power beyond a mention: my position will never be anti-nuclear and I will vote for more plants if given a chance, but the learning curve of solar and storage technologies has me pretty convinced the economics are solidly in their favor and I expect us to go pretty hard in that direction. Especially once Na-ion batteries hit the scene.
Comments
I watched this video on YouTube not knowing anything about it just expecting one of your typical excellent videos, and I was so impressed that I came here to thank you and become a Patreon supporter. Thank you for having the courage to speak up so unequivocally and unapologetically. 🥹
Edgardo Márquez
2026-03-08 08:21:27 +0000 UTCDamn, dude! I had been putting off watching this video just because it's so long, but I finally made the time. I was not expecting both "the best take on renewable energy I've ever heard" AND "a flawless and entirely correct presentation about the state of America." Good job!
Circuitmike
2026-03-03 20:04:44 +0000 UTCI joined Patreon just so I could comment on this video as YT comments are ginormous, and I have no other socials. I'll be honest and say I'm having a hard time finishing the video. I didn't agree last time you told people they should rely on the utility and not solar and batteries, and I agree even less with that now than I did then, so I'm finding it difficult to give another hour of my time if all you're going to do is rant that we should be relying on the government controlled grid. I refuse to use the AI summary though, so I felt I could at least throw a dollar at Patreon and see if you can give a good reason why I should watch the rest of the video.
David
2026-02-23 10:22:01 +0000 UTCDear, dear Alec, I can not express, how much I admire you and how much I am moved by your video. I always respected you but for whatever it might be worth, this respect has grown immensely. You found the right words, you have great courage and you are using your power. Thank you so much, you are giving me hope. Best regards from the old world!
PM
2026-02-05 13:13:32 +0000 UTCThe last third is why I’m now here 🤘
Cristian Almendariz
2026-02-04 17:18:22 +0000 UTCI'm going to disagree hard on the solar/nuclear paradigm. First misnomer of solar is comparing a grid scale system at the panel peak power rating. That is a far cry from it's grid-firm rating. Solar panels make a lot of sense for homes and cars where the energy usage is intermittent, low, and can handle long periods of charging. So you can quote a house at a reasonable percentage of the peak-power rating of the panel (500W at the ones you're listing). Even if you up the system and home battery to do electric home heating, the power usage is pretty low. Industrial power consumption and data centers are an entirely different matter. They need continuous, never-ending power. That means enough batteries to last the long winter nights. And enough generation to charge them in the short hours of sun you do get and still produce the power needed during daylight. So, if you want to do 1 GW of constant grid-stable solar power, even in winter, you need to go big. Real big. Example scenario: State of Virgina currently produces just under 300GW a day. This is expected to increase with the expected AI datacenters. PJM-accredited firm capacity to get to 300GW would be 3,000GW installed and the total system would take about 15 Million acres of land. That is a lot of silicon, steel, and glass. We already have a sand shortage, this would be insane. It would also require 4800GWH of battery to get through the 16 hour nights during the winter. The total cost would be astronomical compared to nuclear. Just getting the land would make this impossible. Nuclear took about 7 years from design to generation before 3-mile island. If we got the regulatory framework under control and streamlined back to that, its costs would dramatically improve. https://youtu.be/N-yALPEpV4w?si=chtSNnGs_z5sH7qF Edit: unit of measure changed from sqmi to acres as I jumped a line in my notes.
Bryan Schaefer
2026-02-02 21:16:45 +0000 UTCGood coverage: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/1/2366697/-You-are-being-misled-about-renewable-energy-technology
Mark Lefler
2026-02-02 16:22:42 +0000 UTCI’m waiting to see how he turns this into a heatpump video
Alex Taylor
2026-01-31 21:32:21 +0000 UTCSeriously, anyone following this to any degree knows that growing crops to burn, in whatever way you may think of, is totally out of the question because photosynthesis is so incredibly ineffective.
Martin Ibert
2026-01-31 18:48:10 +0000 UTCRIP Alec, it was nice knowing you, I'm sad you will be assassined after all that :D
Dukefazon
2026-01-31 17:42:29 +0000 UTCLIke many I've been watching the US destroying itself from across the pond, it's terrifying, it's heartbreaking, it's bewildering that it could happen in a country that elects it's leaders. This will take years to fix, many years, but the first steps are obvious, I dearly hope it happens. Good luck Americans, it's time to be strong ✊
Mark Varley
2026-01-31 15:19:38 +0000 UTCAs a viewer from Germany it is heartbreaking to see that all we have perceived here via media is very true and that apparently no one has learned from our past mistakes from a hundred years ago. Unfortunately we're heading in the same direction. I have to say that I am very proud of you. Speaking up like this is dangerous these days and you have shown a lot of courage in doing it with these extremely clear words. If you ever need refuge, you're welcome any time. This video is something everyone needs to watch. As on photovoltaics: here in Germany electricity costs about 0.30€ per kwh. Fast chargers for cars take between 0.39€ and 0.69€ per kwh depending on location, vendor and your contract. It is still cheaper that burning one-time-usage fuel. I'm unfortunately still driving Diesel (will change next year) for various reasons, but my home has a heat pump and 11,47 kwp on the roof. For me all this is a no-brainer as well (like fiber internet). The future is electric. And a lot of people just don't get it or are afraid or change. One argument I hear against heat pumps was "and without power, it doesn't run" . Yeah, well, how good works the controller board of a gas heater without power? Anyway, I congratulate you and this video confirms my opinion of you being one of the best people out there.
David Sallge
2026-01-31 15:10:54 +0000 UTCYou've never been particularly subtle with your political leanings. After all, objective reality has a leftward bias and yours is a channel about understanding how things work, so it's always been pretty clear where you fall. But there's a big difference between being on the left out of convenience and having a principles you're willing to use your platform to defend. And I'm so glad you chose to make this video.
Céleste Prileszky
2026-01-31 14:11:28 +0000 UTCOn the solar argument itself, a skeptic might bring up the fact that 85% of solar panels are made in China, a country that would likely use its near monopoly as leverage in a conflict. Also it casts doubt on what the "real" cost of solar panels is, given the sector has been subsidized for China's geo-strategic benefit.
Chris B
2026-01-31 12:23:10 +0000 UTCGood video, and I think you made your points effectively. I think there's value in non-political channels discussing the reality of the world, even if it's off topic for the general thrust of the content. There's always a chance you pop someone's filter bubble.
Chris B
2026-01-31 12:18:34 +0000 UTCGod dammit, Alec, what are you doing, you got me crying. And I'm not even an American! And my wife says I don't cry enough! (never) Thank you, I love you, and please continue with what you're doing. PS: the socks are great!
Paul Schuur
2026-01-31 12:07:02 +0000 UTCRegarding the last third of your video: I am convinced there are two kind of mindsets. One of them believes in something like Armageddon so thinking ahead obviously makes little sense. To them it's inevitable anyways.ans they just want to selfishly enjoy the few decades they have left. Then there are people who believe in something like the Foundation (Isaac Asimov) and understand that humans could live on this planet for hundreds of millions of years, if trying to stay in harmony with the rest of the ecosphere instead of exploiting it. Dinosaurs were not responsible for their extinction and likely not that of any other species either. Sharks have been roaming the seas for 200 million years and haven't caused the mass extinction of sea life that humans caused in a micro fraction of that time span. Elon's plans are of course a perversion of that.
cbx
2026-01-31 09:15:27 +0000 UTCI have been a supporter for a while 🇨🇦. Thank you for this pragmatic analysis of renewable energy. I also appreciate that you didn’t demonize the people who work hard in oil and gas that make our current lives possible. A change needs to happen and it makes financial sense to do it. I am glad to be a supporter. Looking forward to practical midwestern sensibilities returning to leadership too.
Myron Dietz
2026-01-31 06:29:39 +0000 UTC
