> Eeyore wrote:

>> "Daniel T." wrote:

>>> John Larkin wrote:

>>

>>>> Sure, but where does the electricity come from?

>>

>>> Power plants that run at much higher efficiency

>>
>> Not that great actually.
>>

>>> (and much cleaner per kilowatt of energy produced) than any automobile
>>> engine

>>
>> How do you reckon they're cleaner ?
>>

>>> could ever hope to do.

>>
>> Overall thermal efficiency from typical power plant to power socket is in
>> the 30-40%% region.
>>
>> A very large marine diesel can and does EXCEED 50%% thermal efficiency. Only
>> now are combined cycle gas turbine generators coming on line that can beat
>> that but you still have transmission losses.
>>
>> Graham

>
> Little known fact; efficiency of electrical generation is currently
> half of what it was in Edison's day. Well, it's a trick question,
> though; Edison was businessman enough to sell off the heat as a
> byproduct (isn't that what they call cogeneration?) but today
> utilities, as monopolies, are too lazy too chase that efficiency/cash.
> too bad for all of us.