David Summers wrote:

[...]
The fact is, transmitting power via cables over long distances is
expensive. The grid uses nearby sources, not far away ones. Losses on
long distance power cables become very large very fast.

Well, depends on the long distance, I suppose. There's a intertie running
down eastern Oregon; probably from Bonneville on the Columbia river, and
probably to somewhere around Red Bluffs or Sacramento, so in excess of 300
miles doesn't seem strange. Also, 250 miles from Hoover Dam to LA.

Losses would go down with superconductor cabling, which is still
expensive, and the support equipment may still be prohibitively heavy.
But it looks like it might be practical and available within about the
same time as return to the moon.

/dps

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