[mcculley]

Yes, I am aware of the 2nd law and the greenhouse effect. I was asking about the magnitudes. It is okay if nobody has any idea about them.

[seiferteric]

The magnitude is the same as current power sources that they would be replacing i.e. 100's of MWs to 1-10s of GWs. The amount of heat being brought up would have to be about the same as you would otherwise be getting from coal, gas etc and so the same amount of heat would be vent to the environment.

[mcculley]

The claims about geothermal and fusion are that they will make energy ridiculously cheap. Won't we use much more if it is cheap?

[throwawayboise]

Maybe, but what it will do first is replace our usage of other more expensive forms of energy (fossil fuels, presumably)

[ncmncm]

Fusion will never be cheap, or used.

Geothermal will not be as cheap as solar, so if we use a lot more power, it will mostly be solar. (Geothermal would be used mainly for baseline, at night.)

Solar intercepts energy already arriving, to use before it is then re-radiated to space. It arrives regardless.

So, no problem. What we have now is a catastrophically big unfolding climate crisis. Even if there were a problem, any small problem is a wonderful substitute for a catastrophically big problem.

[galaxyLogic]

Seems that solar panels can work at night too:

https://www.saurenergy.com/solar-energy-news/arriving-soon-s...

[stubish]

Energy will only ever be as cheap as the government allows, because it gets to tax it.

[mcculley]

This assumes a more powerful or wise government than I have encountered.