This is clearly not what apocalysts intend deregulation of utilities to effect. The motor works as a generator in the daytime, drawing the kinetic energy off the flywheel. Easy, reliable, no new fuels, one moving part. The capital costs for diesel gen-sets are already a lot lower than for central power plants. Few end-users want the operational and maintenance hassles.
Electricity coming off the grid is awfully low-maintenance.
We're all winners Nonetheless, significant and viable niche markets for DG are inevitable, probably up to 10 percent of total U.S. demand. Once momentum starts building, and reliability grows, emerging technologies can make a noticeable dent in new supply. The computer analogy does work in one way. Just as PCs are driving demand for mainframes, so too will DG drive demand for larger, more efficient and low-cost central power sources.