A BC UNDERRWATER COASTAL ELECTRIC CABLE
Lately when I think about energy I've been interested in things that
are invisible. Have very little visual impact.
Thats why the notion of underwater coastal cable transmission lines
interests me. The technology may be a few years off but the idea is
solid.
We could hide the powerline underwater and have generators all
the
way up the coast on small hydroelectric sources.
We could hide these installations up inlets up mountains..
As to the technological or financial reality associated with this, I
dont know. I know only that nanotechnology yields new materials every
day and electrical conductivity
is a property that some of those new materials have.
BC's hydrology is simple. Water clouds come in off the pacific and hit
the coastal mountains, then they hit the monashees purcells and rockies
and finally that pacific water
keeps the praries green. Or some of it. Maybe most prarie rain comes
from the atlantic dunno. Anyways when it hits the coast mountains there
is tons of rain so taking a boat on the inside passage to
prince rupert is a symphony of waterfalls. Gushing streams along the
west coast of vancouver island...Gushing streams of the inside
passage...but none of that power is worth anything. There's no way to
access it.
We're talking in the gigawatts of green energy. Premium priced right
now in the states.
With run of river done right its possible to tap LOTS of small
hydroelectric on coastal bc and send it to underwater powerlines going
by offshore nearby. From vancouver to prince rupert and outside
vancouver island from sooke to cape scott.
It would have to be done right though and should take a long time,and
cost a lot of money. Hundreds of years and millions of dollars.
Making bc rich in power income isnt a bad idea but not with a gold rush
mentality. build in stone, like it was meant to last...
For example a source that up an inlet and out of sight of passing
cruise ships is preferred but will cost more. this is money that
should be spent.
Lots of prime green power to sell is good. Make BC north americas green
kuwait.
Sell green power to alberta to power the refineries for the
tarsands.
the technical problems with this are many but the future looks bright.
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if vancouver island had a high tension grid like the mainland, along
the new highway, then a line up the coast with many attachments
to land, landing points,
becomes possible. the problem of too lengthy spans disappears.
The problem is the landing points on the east coast of vancouver island
would be too ugly....
a lot of underwater cables are dc current and high tension stuff is ac
so there would be a lot of converting going on too.