Sometimes, the harebrained schemes that government and corporate bureaucrats dream up make you stop and wonder: are they serious, or is this a satirical performance art piece? The latest chapter in “Taxpayer Dollars Go Off the Rails” comes courtesy of SunTrain, a Colorado-based venture pitching the zany idea of moving renewable energy by rail. Yes, really—trains filled with batteries charged by wind and solar power, rolling into cities to deliver electricity like some dystopian Amazon Prime for electrons.
This project has the blessing of Governor Jared Polis, who is steering Colorado toward 100% renewable energy by 2040. The SunTrain team is vying for a $10 million federal grant to test their concept: a train laden with lithium iron phosphate batteries making the trek from Pueblo to Denver. But as Doomberg brilliantly dissects in their article "Freighthopping," the math behind this idea doesn’t just fail—it spectacularly derails.
The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Doomberg lays out the grim economics: SunTrain's pilot project involves a 20-railcar train with a total battery capacity of 384 MWh. That’s about $2 million worth of batteries per car, or $40 million total, just for starters. The plan? Charge the batteries during low-cost energy periods and sell the electricity at peak prices. Clever? Not so much. Freight costs for these behemoth battery packs are astronomical, and depleted batteries weigh as much as full ones, so there’s no relief on the return trip.
As Doomberg calculates, the project loses money after just 50 miles of travel—a laughable range for a "mobile power plant." Compare that to coal, the freight king: a single railcar of coal can produce ten times the electricity of SunTrain’s best-case scenario. Energy density matters, and SunTrain’s batteries just don’t cut it.
Roaming Peaker Plants? Not So Fast
SunTrain also pitches itself as a "roaming peaker plant" for when grid demand spikes. But as Doomberg notes, peaker plants already struggle financially, sitting idle 94% of the time. Why would a rolling battery pack—with all its freight inefficiencies—fare any better? Spoiler: it wouldn’t.
A Missed Opportunity?
If the federal government is determined to throw cash at unorthodox energy projects, why not direct some of that funding toward something genuinely practical, like bitcoin mining? Before you roll your eyes, hear this out. Remote areas across the U.S. often flare off natural gas because there's no infrastructure to transport it. Instead of wasting that gas, why not use it to power bitcoin mining rigs? The mined bitcoin could then fund carbon capture technologies for coal and gas plants, reducing emissions without sacrificing grid stability.
The Real Problem
SunTrain isn't the only questionable project exploiting federal clean energy initiatives, and therein lies the issue. When politicians prioritize optics over economics, we get a parade of "innovative" ideas that look good on paper but fall apart under scrutiny. Credit where it’s due to Doomberg for pulling back the curtain on the SunTrain scheme. This isn’t to dismiss renewable energy outright; it’s to say that we need rigorous analysis and accountability—not pie-in-the-sky schemes riding on taxpayer dollars.
In the meantime, here’s a thought for Governor Polis and his SunTrain team: before you hop aboard the next crazy train, maybe try crunching the numbers first. It could save Colorado taxpayers a bundle—and spare the rest of us a headache.
Big thanks to Doomberg for the insightful breakdown in "Freighthopping"—you’re the conductor steering this conversation back on track.
