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[return to "Europe faces an unusual problem: ultra-cheap energy"]
1. morale+La[view] [source] 2024-06-20 15:07:56
>>_tk_+(OP)
They can then build out some unusual kinds of batteries.

See, https://nickgrossman.xyz/bitcoin-as-battery

Forget about the bitcoin side of it, I wouldn't agree with that, lol. The story about Iceland's aluminum smelters is a real eye opener.

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2. gregwe+ne[view] [source] 2024-06-20 15:27:47
>>morale+La
The problem for aluminum or bitcoin is that the electricity from wind & solar, unlike geothermal, is variable. It will alter their economics to shutdown operations when it is cloudy and the wind stops blowing, etc. It really only works if they can have guaranteed access to power for some time frame and that will require a reversible form of energy storage (that's what a real battery is) or really good transmission. GPUs are hard to come by now so miners probably want power 24/7, but if power becomes the biggest constraint then it could make sense to have mining operations run idle for long stretches and use them as batteries.
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