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Gas imports or solar panels?
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this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2026
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Climate
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So, driving batteries around the country? Really?
I mean no, because it probably wouldn't ever need to be done.
But I'm not sure why it would be any worse than trucks full of oil.
It wouldn't be done because the energy density of a battery is atrocious compared to oil, something like 100x worse. Half of the input spent in burning oil comes for free in the air around us, so batteries will never likely beat it.
As the parent commenter said, the energy itself wouldn't need to be delivered. You just deliver the panels once.
Why be just as bad as the old system? And while I'm not sure, I would expect it would be hugely more inefficient in terms of energy produced compared to energy delivered to the end user.
Bud, we drive gas around the country. Thats even stupider.
Lot of propaganda from oil companies is working, I see.
Yeah, I know. That's why driving electrons around the country isn't any better.
You don't need to drive electrons around constantly - just drive the panels there once and you have power there for 20 years.
Michigan is cloudy or overcast most of the winter. It's a lake-effect thing, it starts once you get over the border from Indiana. Why use panels 4 or 5 months out of the year?