CHIPS act is dead - just look at our actual priorities

[blueone]

Mozartct, agree, US politics is impossible, for now. The focus has shifted to states.
Back to Texas: One of the ways Texas can screw this up is if they don't build more transmission lines and start making use of "curtailed" energy, which is wasted due to a deficit of transmission. This should be a no brainer, but, transmission projects take 6-10 years, longer than political will or memory.

https://btuanalytics.com/power-and-renewables/ercot-wind-curtailments-how-much-and-where/

Urgh so dumb, free power going to waste.

You've got this right. Transmission line construction is the bane of the entire power industry, especially the renewable power industry, which often has generation in unpopulated areas. Transmission lines almost always have to be built over private or local government lands, and no one wants the ugliness (or the noise and environmental impact) visible or near them. The feds can use Eminent Domain powers to seize land, but that's politically hugely unpopular. There's a big fight about transmission line construction going on as we post in Maine:

CMP Corridor Proposal: A Bad Deal for Maine

In April 2023, a Cumberland County jury ruled in CMP's favor during a court case that very likely will decide the future of the company's controversial transmission corridor. The decision was based on technical legal

www.nrcm.org

And of course Maine says, "Not in my backyard!". In case you're wondering, the NRCM is a typical progressive environmental group that is a roadblock to any development, even development for the common good.

 

[Portland]

This is a situation when what makes sense in capitalism doesn't make sense in reality. Semiconductors are essential and supply and demand can be disrupted by global politics. Two weeks ago I thought a reunification would happen sooner than later but now I feel it will be the later.

 

[benb]

You've got this right. Transmission line construction is the bane of the entire power industry, especially the renewable power industry, which often has generation in unpopulated areas. Transmission lines almost always have to be built over private or local government lands, and no one wants the ugliness (or the noise and environmental impact) visible or near them. The feds can use Eminent Domain powers to seize land, but that's politically hugely unpopular. There's a big fight about transmission line construction going on as we post in Maine:

CMP Corridor Proposal: A Bad Deal for Maine

In April 2023, a Cumberland County jury ruled in CMP's favor during a court case that very likely will decide the future of the company's controversial transmission corridor. The decision was based on technical legal

www.nrcm.org

And of course Maine says, "Not in my backyard!". In case you're wondering, the NRCM is a typical progressive environmental group that is a roadblock to any development, even development for the common good.

Property rights and lawyers. This is one I really try to see both sides, because I can picture the fear the rural farmers and homeowners have of the Big Govt taking their land.

Individuals power over infrastructure projects is one the hallmarks of the US. And it's why we have fewer pipelines, transmission lines, or property development generally; because every single property owner has a significant say and leverage.

High rents and home prices, blackouts, and other misery vs. rights of individuals.

Do you think Texas, as an isolated power grid, should participate US East or West power grid?

Governor Abbott has complete control over the ERCOT grid. He is the (elected) Putin of Texas power. Putin and Abbott are highly analogous; electric power is political power.

So you're really asking, "Gov'nr, will you give up your political power"? Not likely.

 

[blueone]

Individuals power over infrastructure projects is one the hallmarks of the US. And it's why we have fewer pipelines, transmission lines, or property development generally; because every single property owner has a significant say and leverage.

High rents and home prices, blackouts, and other misery vs. rights of individuals.

Correct again! The funniest and most ironic example of this selfishness are actions by that famous socialist and supporter of wealth redistribution, Robert Reich, formerly a US Secretary of Labor, and now a professor at UC Berkeley. It seems he tried to use a roundabout means of blocking affordable housing in his Berkeley neighborhood by pushing the designation of a historic building for a 120 year-old multi-family building to prevent its demolition for a new condo building in 2020. I'm quoting from Wikipedia, not exactly the most trustworthy source, but numerous other links support this contention, and the Wiki article put it most succinctly:

While affordable housing has been a central issue in Reich's activism, in July 2020 Reich opposed a high-density development project in his own neighborhood in Berkeley.[54] He supported making a 120-year-old triplex a landmark to prevent the construction of a 10-apartment building, one of which would be deed restricted to be rented to a low income tenant, citing "the character of the neighborhood".[55] During an interview with W. Kamau Bell the following month, Reich reaffirmed his support for affordable housing "in every community I've been involved in," and critiqued the development for replacing the house with "condos selling for one and a half million dollars each."[56][57]

I guess the hypocrite is more worried about saving his rich enclave in Berkeley than saving capitalism. Imagine what he'd try to do if some new high voltage transmission lines were about to obscure his view.

 

[Node55]

CHIPs act failing could be the best thing.
I’m sure Intel and others will take the money, if it’s ever offered, or picture it as being string-free, but that is a pipe dream. There will be strings.
Anyway, one of the fun things for me these windy and sunny days in Austin is to monitor the wind and solar production on the Austin Energy website. It’s down to 25% wind at 9:30pm, at the moment. It usually runs 65% renewable during the day as West Texas gets sun all day long and the wind never ends here.
Texas has some of the cheapest electricity in the world, and a clear path to expand and grow without carbon. The geography is unique, having the semi-desert of West Texas be so good for solar, plus near population and industry, and windy on top of that. That’s a real good reason to build a fab in Texas, and TI and others are doing that.

China has blackouts, is constrained in energy, and I worry the existing fabs in China may not operate if it worsens, perhaps this winter. Let alone building more fabs.

Germany is heading in the same direction, very energy constrained, no need to discuss it further. It’s for a noble cause.

Building fabs in much of the world is crazy, because of the changes since February 24 this year. But we’re lucky here in the US, in Texas particularly. We are looking up, literally, at the sun and wind as the limits to growth.

Germany is actually going into the exact opposite direction of energy scarcity by the time Intels fab is online in 2026. We already passed our Chips act, so the subsidies are already granted.

We accelerated our renewable energy targets by 2030 for the electricity generation and we have a green minister as our economy minister, who accepts that we need to move to cheap, renewable energy.

For the disruptions in fossil fuels caused by Russia, Germany will have a second, temporary coal revival. Fortunately the EU taxes CO2 emissions and coal will be extremely expensive, just from the CO2 compliance perspective. Add to that the actual costs to procure coal and it's a temporary solution until renewable energies can replace the additional coal generation by 2024. That's when the government will shutdown the coals plants.
FYI: Because of economic losses, 50% of all coal plants applied for a shutdown in the late 2010, but were denied, because they were system relevant.

Many are talking about LNG, but it is simply too expensive to be a viable solution for Germany. Also Europe expects fossil fuel to be a stranded asset sometime between 2032-2037, so we can't underwrite 20 year supply targets. It's consensus in Europe, e.g. the LNG Terminals in Antwerpen, Belgium, can't expand, because the payback period is too long (ca. 15 years) and it will be a stranded asset.

Here in Europe the idea is to switch to hydrogen at some point and modify the existing gas infrastructure. It is required for the chemical industry and heavy industries, e.g. steel.

 

[Daniel Nenni]

TSMC welcomed Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Taiwanese Ambassador Hsiao to our 5 nanometer Fab 21 construction site today in north Phoenix. We have over 4,000 workers daily at the 1,100 acre property moving full speed ahead with no delays. The company is honored to restore advanced chip manufacturing in the U.S. and partner with Senator Kelly, a crucial leadership figure working hard to pass the CHIPS Act.

 

[benb]

Looks like 3 levels to the fab: Facilities, chemical, and process. With another, smalller, level above process, for ?