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Comment by dlcarrier | Hacker News Reader

My city's power company itself has multiple peaking power generators in shipping containers, that it runs because there's isn't enough supply.

Compared to full-size natural gas powerplants they're extremely awful, but they're a necessity when we otherwise wouldn't have reliable power. If it wasn't for NINBYism, we'd have plenty of hydro and nuclear power to meet all of our needs, but with NINBYism the only option is to build smaller, which is also dirtier and less efficient, but avoids the NIMBY blockades.

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> If it wasn't for NINBYism,

Hey now, give the environmentalists some credit too.

Even if the NIMBYs evaporated overnight these projects would still be hobbled by all manner of "you're gonna need an engineered stormwater solution" and "gonna need an impact study" type crap wherein firms and trades that manage to market what they do as being good for the environment (but at what cost?) are empowered sometimes by law, but more often by bureaucratic policy to leech large sums out of money at every step of the process.

At least in California, through a regulation called CEQA, NIMBYism is usually enacted through extreme selective enforcement of engineering and environment impact requirements.

They usually only apply to projects over a certain size, hence the shift to smaller projects to avoid NIMBYism.

Which city is this? I see the two most easy to build renewables options have been suspiciously left out.

Hydro is the best renewable at meeting demand peaks. Concentrated solar with molten salt storage could theoretically be just as good, but it isn't cost effective and the only large one, in Ivanpah California, is shutting down.

Nuclear is great at base power, but cannot quickly react to changes in demand. Wind and photovoltaic solar give power whenever it's available, but without storage, they also can't help with peak demands.

Ideally these engines should be deployed near the NIMBY’s houses so that they can appreciate the symphony and aroma they produce. If it’s a problem, offer them the possibility to bid a certain amount (either in terms of current money or future “property value”) to replace them with quieter, more efficient alternatives if the music/fragrance isn’t up to their taste.

What is NINBYism?

Not In Neumann's Back Yard

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