zlacker

>>RobinL+(OP)
California is facing a similar issue dealing with its solar duck curve[1], where prices essentially go negative during periods of peak solar generation.

As far as I know residential PG&E customers can't buy energy in spot market prices, or else there could be some innovative arbitrage opportunities, like only running bitcoin miners when power is cheap.

1. https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/confronting-duck-curve-...

>>ed2551+6f
If only there were some actually useful use of excessive energy that weren’t mining bitcoin.

>>sh1mme+Si
Charging cars, heating water in a well insulated tank

>>youngt+CI
It's great when we can use off peak energy for things like this, but they're not as easy to locate onsite as bitcoin miners .. and difficulty with transmission is a big part of the problem

>>cwalv+Fm1
Electric cars have utility as we can use them to transport us from one place to another.

Bitcoin on the other hand is just a waste of energy

>>youngt+gO1
If you don't understanding anything about Bitcoin's properties and the utility that provides, I can understand why you would think its a waste of energy. But many disagree with you for good reason.

Some people think clothes driers or Christmas lights are a waste of energy, but it's not for them to decide how other people spend the energy they've paid for. Some people think those things are worth the energy cost and so they pay for it. That's their choice to make.