Beamed Space Solar Power Plant To Open In 2016? 512
Eric_S writes "Anybody who managed to get a decent city going in Sim City 2000 remembers the microwave power plant; now it seems like a real-world equivalent might be coming up on the horizon.
The Pacific Gas and Electricity Company, per this 'interview' with the CEO of Solaren on their affiliated site, announced PG&E's plans to buy 200MW of base-load power from a Solaren beamed space solar power plant by 2016." I wish the skeptic in me would be quiet.
They should try this over San Francisco (Score:4, Funny)
Because the people over there are pretty progressive on the green energy front, and if there are any problems it will be over San Francisco.
Funny... (Score:5, Funny)
Woops sorry about your farm... (Score:3, Funny)
"Solaren Insta-Tan (tm)" (Score:3, Funny)
Ah, that's one way to get a quick tan I'm sure.
We could sell time in it to celebrities.
Or just run animals* through for quick roast dinners.
* or celebrities
Dear Canada (Score:5, Funny)
February 12th, 2020
Dear Canada,
Yesterday a piece of space trash knocked our Microwave Power Plant operating over Oregon off target from its station. Unfortunately, it continued to beam a strong powerful ray of energy down as its sights fell over your Western provinces. We are sorry.
We urge you not to think of it as "a swath of destruction" so much as "a wicked cool tattoo"
Williston Lake was a very beautiful lake right up until it evaporated
We're also sorry that instead of shutting it down, we just swung it back over Canada to its power station in Oregon and next time we will totally just stop it before this happens. To make up for it, we'll send you some extra power so your people stop rioting and Mad Maxing.
We hope there's no hard feelings,
Sincerely,
The United States
Sim city (Score:5, Funny)
Ouch! (Score:5, Funny)
From the Wikipedia article linked:
"In 1964, William C. Brown demonstrated a miniature helicopter equipped with a combination antenna and rectifier device called a rectenna."
Heh, rectenna sounds like some alien probing device.
-dZ.
Re:Miss (Score:5, Funny)
Dessert topping AND floor wax (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Dupe from months ago? (Score:3, Funny)
I think I remember seeing a search feature, here on /., _pixels_ ago.
Who's going to be the first to use it? You? Me?
The suspense is terrible.... I hope it lasts.
Re:Ouch! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Ouch! (Score:3, Funny)
I'm sorry for your loss.
-dZ.
Re:woot! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sim City 2000 (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Human Size Ants (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps we can contract the launch out to North Korea? I hear they've been making some real strides in that area and could use the $$.
Re:In Space (Score:5, Funny)
lots of pissed birds, bats, pollen and insects too.
Hell hath no fury like a pollen scorned.
Re:In Space (Score:5, Funny)
You mean 'scorched'.
Re:Miss (Score:5, Funny)
Satellite in geostable orbit. Receiving station on equator. Receiving station emits guiding signal to satellite, causing satellite to beam power to earth. If the guiding signal is missing, the satellite stops beaming power and starts using that power to adjust it's position. That's how I'd do it.
That's nice and all, but how about this: If the beam goes off-target, the satellite cranks the output up to full power, obliterating whatever it happens to be pointed at. This will create a bright column of light visible to cameras at the receiving station. Based on which direction this shaft of annihilation is from the station, the ground station transmits instructions to the satellite of which way to adjust the beam, walking it back onto the target and creating a massive swath of destruction in the process.
That's how I'd do it.
Re:In Space (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Dear Canada (Score:3, Funny)
Memo from Canada
February 13th, 2020
Dear United States,
We've know for long that your education system was in trouble, but we didn't know the situation was so desperate. You might want to get a refresher course in geography, but just FYI, Canada is to the north, not to the south of Oregon. If you needed economic support, you should have asked.
Sincerely,
Canada
PS: Somebody boiled the Bay Area, you might want to check it out.
Re:In Space (Score:3, Funny)
Try looking at the energy densities per square millimeter. That 200 MW beam is spread out quite a bit.
Well, spread out a bit until SkyNet get angry, then it's a cannon. At that point we'll see which side sent the governator back in time to authorize this. For all we know, the orbital microwave cannon is the weapon needed to defeat SkyNet early!
Frankly, I find arguemtns that the governator was actually sent back in time by SkyNet exactly as credible as environmentalist concerns that we might hurt one fluffy bunny.