Prairie Clean Energy

[cropgrower]

So you think its better to import food than have it grown here at home ? trucking it thousands of miles will sure save the envoirnment ! far better to keep the jobs and money in canada but the clueless liberals cant understand that

[chuckChuck]

Greenhouse and other indoor food production is taking off in Canada because imports are getting more expensive.

[shtferbrains]

Why are you avoiding talking about Alberta where solar and wind contract bids were $30-$45 per MWh and are helping to keep wholesale power prices lower.

And the main reason Alberta has high electricity prices is electricity producers are jacking up prices by reducing supply.

What do you think Alberta can do better than California or Germany?

If you keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.....

Unless of course you take advice from a University Professor.
Kind of the ultimate authority.

[cropgrower]

Greenhouse and other indoor food production is taking off in Canada because imports are getting more expensive.

So why are the clueless liberals trying to make it harder for growers to get going and stay going ?

[chuckChuck]

The main reason Alberta has high electricity prices is electricity producers are jacking up prices by reducing supply.

Even Danny thinks the market manipulation is a problem.

[WiltonRanch]

Greenhouses in the middle of the prairies on a January day make about as much sense as growing wheat in a rice paddy. Where it makes more sense is in conjunction with a large industrial plant giving off excess heat. Ethanol plant in lloydminster uses excess heat from upgrader. The Shand power station and the tree nursery is another. Going about heating a scale of greenhouses to satisfy fruit and veg demand through winter months consumes more energy than what is required to ship it in. Government regulatory interference aside the practical aspects of this or home scale energy generation contribution to the grid isn’t economically feasible.

[chuckChuck]

Wilton, have you heard of Redcliff Alberta? The greenhouse capital that produces greenhouse vegetables all year round?

Starting out with just ten growers in 1966, we’ve used sunshine, good ethics, technology, and passion, to grow and nurture our business into what it is today. Over a half-century later, we continue to live up to the same promise we made when we got started. Now, with over thirty experienced growers, some fourth generation, we have strong roots and incredible ties to our industry and the communities we are a part of. In addition to growing our team, we’ve grown our resources too. We use over 150 acres of greenhouses, have a renovated 98,000 square foot facility including a 40,000 square foot cooler and are capable of delivering fresh product to retailers in Western Canada daily.

[url]https://redhatco-op.com/about/[/url]

[url]https://redhatco-op.com/[/url]

[Blaithin]

These new ones are big bastards. They say bigger blades makes them more efficient/more productive. With the extra material used I wonder what their curve is to offset their own construction.

The small ones farther back in the photo have never managed more than 3/4 their predicted output. See what 13 years of technology advancement ends up actually being.

[blackpowder]

Thought at one time Medicine Hat owned the mineral rights. Very cheap natural gas.
Tell the whole story.

[WiltonRanch]

Wilton, have you heard of Redcliff Alberta? The greenhouse capital that produces greenhouse vegetables all year round?

Starting out with just ten growers in 1966, we’ve used sunshine, good ethics, technology, and passion, to grow and nurture our business into what it is today. Over a half-century later, we continue to live up to the same promise we made when we got started. Now, with over thirty experienced growers, some fourth generation, we have strong roots and incredible ties to our industry and the communities we are a part of. In addition to growing our team, we’ve grown our resources too. We use over 150 acres of greenhouses, have a renovated 98,000 square foot facility including a 40,000 square foot cooler and are capable of delivering fresh product to retailers in Western Canada daily.

[url]https://redhatco-op.com/about/[/url]

[url]https://redhatco-op.com/[/url]

That’s great. Still though we import the majority of produce from south of the border or geesh mandarin oranges from China. I refuse to eat that crap. Local farm was growing hydroponic lettuce and other vegs and was second to none. Lasted for a year or so and quit. Never seems to last for some reason.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

So Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are increasing available supply with lots of renewables and other sources, whats to stop them from sharing supplies by importing and exporting?

Wind is much cheaper and faster to increase the supply, so they say. So Saskatchewan already imports some hydro from Manitoba and they also might import wind and solar too.

When its windy and sunny in Manitoba, is it always windy and sunny in all of Saskatchewan and Alberta too? Or do you think the weather might vary across the 3 prairie provinces?

I was just joking when I suggested you enact a law that the wind can't stop blowing in all three provinces at once. But I see you took it seriously. Good luck with mandating the sun to never stop shining in at least one prairie province at once. But that is the level of wishful thinking that the entire green energy scam is built on. Hope that the wind will always blow, and the sun will always shine somewhere.

Your lights can't tell the difference can they?

Gas, hydro and interconnections can back it all up. And maybe a little bit of nuclear until they figure out that it is the most expensive option that takes years longer to build.

You just finished telling us that Manitoba is going to add wind and solar to meet RISING DEMAND, and build no additional hydro. Now you continue to claim that the rest of the provinces can continue to use hydro to back up their own intermittent wind and solar. Do you not see the problem with this strategy?

And in response to you concern about my lights being able to tell the difference. First of all, it isn't my lights I am worried about. No one is going to die because the lights went out( unless they are on the operating table). Lights are a convenience. Whereas heat, ventilation, refrigeration, medical support, water, waste water etc are necessities of modern life. people literally die without them.
And secondly, lights absolutely can tell the difference. As you may not be aware, most demand for lighting occurs when it is dark outside. Do you know the average capacity factor for your solar panels when it is dark outside? How well is your solar powered flashlight working so far?

[wmoebis]

Why is it all or nothing. We have a water shortage going on in southern prairies, what if we could conserve some of that water by slowing power production from hydro when wind is blowing or sun shining?
What is wrong with reducing the use of fossil fuels to conserve our air for the future, beyond our lifetime.
If we slow our carbon to what our earth uses that is net zero. I don't think anyone is saying go to zero production and run a CO2 deficit.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Why is it all or nothing. We have a water shortage going on in southern prairies, what if we could conserve some of that water by slowing power production from hydro when wind is blowing or sun shining?
What is wrong with reducing the use of fossil fuels to conserve our air for the future, beyond our lifetime.
If we slow our carbon to what our earth uses that is net zero. I don't think anyone is saying go to zero production and run a CO2 deficit.

Don't dare bring up the topic of CO2 deficits. That one really gets Chuck riled up. Then he reveals how he understands absolutely nothing about CO2, and if you press him on it, he reveals that his "science" doesn't know the answers either.

My understanding of irrigation versus hydro is that what is happening is exactly what you are suggesting. The dams are in place to hold water for irrigation. Released only as required, with hydroelectric generation as a byproduct of water level management. Not as the primary purpose.
Perhaps someone closer to the area and the industry could correct me if I am wrong.

[furrowtickler]

Governments around the world are slowly realizing that nuclear energy has to be used as the major base load to replace petroleum based energy. Hydro power is no longer feasible for new construction in many districts now with environmental and First Nations concerns.
Wind and solar are being pushed but only because over government subsidies and demand that companies offset their carbon footprint by buying carbon credits and or ESG’s . That’s the prime reason so many wind farms and solar projects have got traction in the first place .
But at the end of the day in most countries wind and solar will never be more than window dressing to keep the greenflation going as long as they can . Base-load power will be nuclear going forward. Especially in northern climate countries.
look at EV’s , major auto companies are realizing the gig is up , and are scaling back big time as consumers are realizing that EV’s are falling far short of expectations, ownership costs skyrocket when mileage is only 1/2 of stated , and the EV’s are virtually worthless when battery’s need replacement.
EV mandates will have to be turfed until more reliable , cheaper and more environmentally friendly EV battery tech is available.
there is simply not even remotely enough lithium and cobalt in the world to meet the demands for EV batteries for even 1/4 of what is required for full mandates of EV’s .
they put the cart way way before the horse and reality is kicking in .

[furrowtickler]

Concerning Hydro , a good example is the Columbia River basin . The environmental and First Nations fishing rights will eventually force the dismantling of at least 3 hydro dams up into the Snake River basin . They will plan to replace that power with wind and solar , but eventually they will have to replace that base load power with nuclear and wind and solar projects will just be lawn ornaments for intermittent use to appease the greenies .