There won’t possibly be enough power for electric vehicles

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Herald reporter Ben Watanabe missed an opportunity for a great article in his recent report (“Electric vehicles spur big forecast jump for PUD demand,” The Herald, Dec. 5). He highlights the growing power demand at Snohomish County Public Utility District in the next 20 years, but neglects to examine where this power will come from beyond energy efficiency programs as our state tries to dramatically curb fossil fuel use by 2040.

He quotes PUD numbers indicating up to 71 percent growth in the Snohomish PUD customer base over the next 20 years, with dramatic expansion of e-vehicle use, added demand for electricity to replace natural gas for home heating, and explosive growth in the use of air conditioning. “All of those things could mean more demand on the PUD’s existing infrastructure …. It could strain the system.” Seriously? As in diving into a shallow pool of molten lava could break your neck.

Even a modest conversion to electric vehicles will blow up the current grid. Why not ask PUD planners where all this power will come from? Hydro accounts for 75 percent of the PUD’s power. Nuclear is under 10 percent. We all know no more dams or nuclear plants are being built. So, wind and solar, which make up only 12 percent of current supply, are going to expand by more than an order of magnitude?

Do you seriously believe we will build enough windmills and rooftop solar in the next two decades to generate this kind of power, much less store it for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing? If the capacity does not materialize, what then? Rationing? This represents a deplorable lack of curiosity. The Herald editors also missed an opportunity to mentor one of their own on good reporting.

Richard McCullough

Arlington