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Apparently not very well. Numbers don't lie but people using misleading statistics to support their arguments do.

Using median data would be more significantly meaningful here than averages. I don't doubt that the information on this map is accurate, though I haven't verified. Even if it is, it's basically meaningless.

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I would ask how much teaching you've done/classroom time you've put in?

Numbers don’t lie. I was taught to do math

>How are we storing the extra energy from coal plants and hydro...? You're acting like energy storage is a problem that popped up when solar was invented. We've been storing power for a long time.

And we have been very bad at it for a long time, to the point where we supplement power storage by also increasing the load to minimize the amount needing to be stored, the problem is the load is already at it's lowest during the output of solar. And if I say that alot, it's because that's the fucking problem.

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>Several different methods are all combined to keep the power on currently. Do all of the coal plants get shut down when the hydro power is being used..? Acting like we have zero solutions for power storage and no ability to use different methods simultaneously is ridiculous.

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No, the method of using multiple different power production means is specifically for this purpose. You have some means that can go on and off easily, you have other means that can vary their output, and you have others that cant really be shut off or vary their output but are the most efficient. By stacking all of these on top of each other, we efficiently stabilize the power grid output and load. And when do we shut off or idle down these plants? DURING THE TIME SOLAR IS PRODUCING. (Remember this, its important)

Also we don't use coal in Maine, but natural gas plants do specifically calculate whether or not it's profitabe to run, on a day to day basis, and if it's not they sell of off their leased supply of natural gas. Now if they deem it not profitable to run these plants at all for a long period of time, because solar causes energy cost to go in the negative, because we've had to increase the load to the system to stabilize it, the plants will eventually realize that it's more profitable to sell off their equipment and real estate, and we will have no means of combating load surges. (This is called capitalism, it's not great, but it is what we have to consider during these decisions)

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> Again, you're just coming up with (invalid) reasons because you don't like solar. Every point you made makes no sense.

I love solar, for a plethora of options, some of which I do utilize myself, just not for this particular problem, at this particular point in time. Also I didn't "come up" with these points, I learned them, by reading articles on how to combat climate change because I am passionate about our environmental impact, and through my education and work as an engineer, and by talking with policy makers, consultants, and workers in this exact feild.

NOW listen good and clear on this one. You have a strong reaction to all of this, because you've got rose colored glasses on, and all the red flags just look like flags. But there are a lot of problems with our ability to really utilize solar on this big of a scale at this point. The day will come though, and I'm excited for that, but if we under took a project of this scale right now, we'd cripple our financial ability to do it right when the time came.

Right now isn't the time to lobby the government into funding throwing solar everywhere, for everything. Right now is the time to lobby the government into funding the research we still need to make this dream a reality. The break through we really need is so close, and we can wait for it, or we can reel it in by utilizing government funding and policy making. That's the important place to put the effort right now.

Like every other time maps like these are put together with flimsy statistics, this doesn't paint the whole picture. It's using averages, which usually aren't the best metric since extreme outliers skew the results drastically. Other people here have pointed out special ed classrooms as one of these outliers, for example. Many of Maine's schools have wonderful special needs resources which is a great thing. Many others don't.

You are woefully out of touch with reality with your comment.

Once all the old alumni have died off, it’ll be easier. There’s a lot of guys out there that lived their glory days/peaked at skank.

Boy, this doesn’t really fit with the mythology that we hear all the time does it? The myth centers around the notion that teachers are somehow underpaid, overworked, and forced to spend their own money.

The reality is that teaching is a part-time job with every summer and weekend off, according to data you will only have 11 kids in your class on average so there’s not that much grading to do, and there’s a tax deduction that allows teachers to get extra money back for anything they put in Out of their own pockets beyond what the school has budgeted for.

Enough of the whining, this is a profession to embrace for its benefits.

i don't know a single teacher (and i know a lot, living all over the state) with a single class with less than 15 students

12 easy steps to never drive drunk ever, again.

💪🏻

God no, Lee Academy doesn’t need to consolidate to Lincoln. Can’t speak for Howland, but Lee has a lot of kids from the small towns that go to it. On top of its foreign student program.

I taught at a community college in Ohio before moving here and tried my hardest to get something, anything at a CC around here and nothin’

I had a friend tell me that a lot of the adjunct positions at CCs in Maine are taken by retired professors, often from prestigious universities, who move to Maine and decided they’d like to teach a bit still. I don’t know how true that actually is but it seems plausible.

Thanks

ugh what a racket and scam. sorry you have to go through it, i've been there too.

It would not make a bit of difference. The solar arrangement is dictated by Maine Public Utilities Commission rules that apply to any utility. The MPUC, not the utility, sets the rules.

Anyone who claims PTP would automatically be cheaper, more reliable, or more amenable to renewable power lacks even a basic understanding of how the system actually works.

40 and raining on the coast

>it won't be great until we have energy storage

How are we storing the extra energy from coal plants and hydro...? You're acting like energy storage is a problem that popped up when solar was invented. We've been storing power for a long time.

I'll agree that we don't do it efficiently, but we still can.

Several different methods are all combined to keep the power on currently. Do all of the coal plants get shut down when the hydro power is being used..? Why in the world would we need to shut down the other methods with a flip of a switch while using solar...?

Acting like we have zero solutions for power storage and no ability to use different methods simultaneously is ridiculous. Again, you're just coming up with (invalid) reasons because you don't like solar. Every point you made makes no sense.

"It wouldn't lighten the load because we'd have to shut off the other power plants" ... what? No we wouldn't. You can feed more electricity into the grid from other places... you know that right?

This frustrates me because I just looked at Maine's community colleges job portal and there are no jobs. I just graduated with my Masters in writing with the desire to teach but there's nothing available.

Well they played each other in the 78-79 Tourney at the old Bangor Auditorium so obviously they cannot consolidate into a single school.

It comes down to town rivalries unfortunately. Howland and Lincoln each have their own schools. So does Lee. They could easily consolidate to just Lincoln.

Yes, Special Ed probably skews the data. I have a low number of students, but they are very high needs.

For what it's worth, since you've extrapolated on your initial comment, it has become starkly apparent that you've put more thought into all of this than your original comment suggested.

It is a very tricky and nuanced subject, which only compounds the moment it leaves a vacuum and starts interacting with literally everything else outside of 'power production security'.

While I hear you on not being qualified to draw conclusions; I also find it to be a dangerous slope to leave all of the thinking to those specialized in it. As you mentioned, they have their own biases, agendas, heuristics, and blind spots; and they always seem to have a bit more sway on policy than voters. (This should be a bit of a universal rule, imo.

Lastly, I have my own biases against solar and wind, largely because of the zealotry surrounding them. I'm seeing it dwindle, thankfully, but for a while there was a vast majority of Pro-Greens that would ardently deny S/W's own eco and climate impacts. (Among many other negatives in the background of the industry.)

Lastly, I do think Maintenance, construction, and all surrounding costs could be considered. As well as the spacial costs for recycling/discarding non-salvageable products. (Solar panels, wind blades, nuclear waste, carbon waste, etc etc)

I have more to add, but my break is over, so I'll cut this short. Hopefully as we move forward, we can figure out the best way to approach these issues. Thanks for a great exchange! Peace and prosperity to you.

Good medicine collective in Portland

Please tell me you’re a student and not a teacher.