Are Electric Cars bad for neighbors?

Question

California has built most of their newer power plants in New Mexico, Arizona, and Navada because they don't want any more pollution, and the coal and nuclear plants there are cheaper.

If they use electric cars, then they just push more pollution from their cities over to their neighbors. That doesn't seem right. Why should your neighbor have to take your pollution just because you like electric cars?

Answer 1

Wow

California has enough electric cars to justify building new power stations. I'm impressed.

I was under the impression that there would hardly be enough electric cars, to justify starting up a medium sized diesel generator. (Half megawatt tops). (Even charged from this source an electric car would produce net emissions similar to a hybrid.)

Placing a nuclear power station away from the load centre doesn't seem to make much sense. All those transmission loses to deal with and if you listen to the propaganda from the nuclear industry they create no pollution. So why take the French solution and stick the things on the fence line (or in your neighbours yard).

Of course getting rid of that apparently "radioactive" coal ash could be attractive. You might want to have a look at the uses of fly ash before you buy that story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ash

Anyway enough with the sarcasm.

Power stations need things like fuel and water it usually makes sense to place them near where these are readily available. (Transport costs)

Some regional economies actually benefit from the long and short-term employment that a power station provides. Many will actively compete to have one placed nearby.

I do agree with your sentiment. This is like tipping your garbage over the fence. (even if you pay your neighbour to do it.).

Is energy for an electric car any different to any other electrical energy consumption?

You could, of course, invest in green renewable power to neutralise your usage.

Answer 2

Think, just think about it, windmill powered generators and such as water electricity, electric is the way of the future, you pay now $3.00 or more for fuel, versus about 6cents a helluva difference and definitely environmentally safer

Answer 3

In theory yes, but electric cars would probably mostly be charged at night.  power plants take days to crank up or down and since they have to be cranked up in the day to power a/c units, they chug away at night wasting coal and electricity so evening out the load might be a good tihng.

Answer 4

That is like saying most electric cars are clean air vehicles because the have built-in transporter beams that sends the bad air clear over to the next state.

Answer 5

You have a point, but it's complicated.

New Mexico actually encourages people to build power plants there for the economic benefits.  They do build them in relatively unpopulated places, which New Mexico has plenty of.

If the neighbors like the idea, is it still a bad one?

Answer 6

i go with what Ted H says and to add to that.  the electricity doesnt always have to be from coal.  it can be generated (as there is some right now) from clean renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermic, tidal, biomass, etc.  thats why some say its the way of the future because it CAN be powered by renewable energy whereas ICE just just only one source which is oil.

Answer 7

I wish my neighbor drove an electric car actually. He drives a giant station wagon boat that makes it hard for me to get into my parking spot, especially since I have a pole to navigate around on the other side.

Answer 8

You make an excellent point.

The use of coal as a fuel should be banned.

Coal is the worst fuel that can possibly be used.

Coal is contaminated with radioactive Uranium and Thorium.

When coal is burned radioactive Uranium and Thorium goes up the smokestack with the fly ash and is concentrated in the coal ash.

The coal ash is stored on the ground in huge piles.

The wind blows the ash and the Uranium and Thorium and contaminates the environment.

Rainwater leaches radioactive Uranim and Thorium from the ash and contaminates the local rivers lakes and streams.

Unfortunately when our electricity is generated by coal, electric cars do not help the environment.