. @MMFlint and Jeff Gibbs could have done research, and asked some real experts on energy. Instead, they took the cheap, conspiracy theorist way out, which was a dis-service to everyone. So let's go over some of the more biggest whoppers in "Planet of the Humans". /1(thread)

(26:24) "You can’t replace a coal plant with solar." Well, that's news to me. Perhaps @mmflint could have looked at the electricity generation mix in California or Germany, where fossil fuel plants are increasingly replaced with—you guessed it— #solar (and in Germany, wind). /2

In 2009, California was getting 8% of its power from coal, 42% from natural gas. Solar was 0.3% of the mix. In 2018, coal was 3%, gas was 35% and solar was 11%-but that's only large-scale solar. Rooftop was probably another 5% (it's usually not counted).3 https://ww2.energy.ca.gov/almanac/electricity_data/total_system_power.html

So let's look at Germany. In 2010, coal (lignite and hard coal) were 46% of generation, solar was less than 2%. In 2019, coal was 28% and solar was 8% (wind was another 17%. (Raw generation figures are courtesy of AGEB, math is mine). /4

https://www.ag-energiebilanzen.de/ 

CA figures can be found via Google.

You could argue that you can't replace an individual fossil fuel-fired plant with solar (or wind). Technically correct. But you can replace it with a clean energy portfolio of renewables, batteries, and/or demand response + grid upgrades. /5

This is not theory. It has happened several times, again California provides useful examples.

See: /6

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/01/15/california-regulators-choose-clean-energy-and-storage-over-existing-gas-plants/ https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/03/29/caiso-approves-clean-energy-storage-and-system-upgrades-to-replace-gas-plant/

On to hydrogen (~21:00). Yes, hydrogen is currently mostly made from fossil fuels. But it doesn't have to made from fossils. There is a massive capacity of hydrogen electrolysis being installed right now, which uses electricity to split water. /7 https://theenergytransition.org/article/the-green-hydrogen-economy-is-about-to-take-off/

While we are at it, hydrogen fuel cell cars are not likely to be the future of personal mobility; EVs have a massive lead there. Another place that shows how little Jeff Gibbs knows, but I digress. /8