# Clean energy for the world based on using large capacitors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244 "2026-01-01T16:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/21 "2026-01-01T18:08:42Z")
I’m waiting for a reference to Tesla and telluric currents before I determine exactly what flavor of gobbledygook we’re dealing with here. ---
**Author:** ![bodangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bodangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodangus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/22 "2026-01-01T18:44:42Z")
Goobledygook might be a good word to use. I was trying to reference capacitors. I do believe the Ark was a capacitor of some type, but given the context of the reference I also believe it was very likely only able to make some minimal electrical impact and the rest of the story is BS. But then even a small shock might have been a very impressive thing back in the day. I want to know if huge modern capacitors and charging them using the static charge differential that is everywhere on Earth might be considered of possible use. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/23 "2026-01-01T18:50:24Z")
> [@bodangus](#): > > I want to know if huge modern capacitors and charging them using the static charge differential that is everywhere on Earth might be considered of possible use. Apparently, collecting and using “static electricity” at small scales is feasible. It’s an open question as to whether it can even be done at a larger scale. > **[Energy Scavengers: Static Electricity Could Power the World](https://www.discovermagazine.com/energy-scavengers-static-electricity-could-power-the-world-18135)** > > By harvesting the everyday energy of static electricity, scientists may have found the world's most plentiful source of renewable, sustainable power. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/24 "2026-01-01T18:50:39Z")
There is certainly electrical energy in the Earth’s atmosphere - just look at the number of lightning strikes that occur every second. But, that energy is extremely high power - very high voltage and current, for very short duration, and would be hard to capture. I’m not even sure it would be a good idea to mess with this - lightning strikes fix Nitrogen, which is important for plants. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/25 "2026-01-01T18:54:41Z")
> [@bodangus](#): > > I suppose a wind farm would be similar except I think the capacitor might be less environmentally destructive. Wind farms are environmentally destructive? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/26 "2026-01-01T18:59:17Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Wind farms are environmentally destructive? They do have issues. Birds and bats can and do get struck and killed by the turbines, and the manufacturing of wind turbines (and disposal of them after their service life) can be problematic. But their overall impact is probably less than a lot of other forms of energy, and I imagine that making large numbers of capacitors wouldn’t necessarily be environmentally clean, either. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/27 "2026-01-01T18:59:52Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > The [Taum Sauk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taum_Sauk_Hydroelectric_Power_Station) reservoir in Missouri actually consumes more energy to pump the water up to the reservoir than it produces on the way down Well, yes. Laws of thermodynamics and all that. Any such reservoir situation would behave exactly the same. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/28 "2026-01-01T19:04:31Z")
[These folks](https://ionpowergroup.com/how-it-works-on-earth/) claim we can get energy from the atmosphere using “Ion Harvesting Technology.” Sounds like nonsense to me, but what-do-I-know. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/29 "2026-01-01T19:05:24Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > The [Taum Sauk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taum_Sauk_Hydroelectric_Power_Station) reservoir in Missouri actually consumes more energy to pump the water up to the reservoir than it produces on the way down, That’s true of every form of energy storage. None of them return all the energy put into them. In this universe, we obey the laws of thermodynamics. > [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > so it is mainly used as an additional source during times of peak demand, and refilled at times of low demand when there’s excess capacity. Which is also true of all forms of energy storage. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/30 "2026-01-01T19:08:35Z")
> [@bodangus](#): > > but given the context of the reference I also believe it was very likely only able to make some minimal electrical impact and the rest of the story is BS. The whole story is BS, and you might want to avoid trying to look for the supposed kernel of truth in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/31 "2026-01-01T19:17:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > you might want to avoid trying to look for the supposed kernel of truth in that movie. And, for that matter, citing the Old Testament for scientific information is probably not terribly valid, either. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/32 "2026-01-01T19:19:54Z")
Where are you getting all this? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/33 "2026-01-01T19:35:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The whole story is BS, and you might want to avoid trying to look for the supposed kernel of truth in that movie. This is what I’m wondering too… where is this even coming from? Was there an Indiana Jones movie where this was the plot, or…? I don’t understand the supposed connection between capacitors, static potential in the atmosphere, and the religious icon. How did we go from those separate things to an oil industry conspiracy? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/34 "2026-01-01T19:56:01Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Was there an Indiana Jones movie where this was the plot, or…? The original _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, in fact. Part of why the Nazis were interested in the Ark was that the Israelites allegedly used it to blast their enemies with some sort of energy. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/35 "2026-01-01T19:57:56Z")
Capacitors do store energy but the possible energy density is far less than other methods. Chemical methods, burning stuff, separate the atoms in molecules from each other. Batteries separate electrons from atoms. Capacitors stretch the atoms a little. The battery in a Nissan Leaf a few years back held 24 Kw-Hr. You would need multiple shipping containers to hold a capacitor big enough to store that much energy. A company known as EEstor tried to sell them. I believe that they are no longer with us. Attempts to overrule the laws of physics work out like that. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/36 "2026-01-01T19:58:50Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The original _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, in fact. Ah, that makes more sense now, thank you. I didn’t realize that movie was a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/37 "2026-01-01T19:59:26Z")
Nothing To Do With The Movie Von Daniken and other ancient astronauts claim that the ark was not magical, but rather some sort of sophisticated electronic device. They say that the real reason the person who touched it died was that they were fatally electrocuted when they made contact with the side instead of the handles. I will go back to lurking now. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/38 "2026-01-01T20:02:15Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I didn’t realize that movie was a documentary. To quote the Thermians in _Galaxy Quest_: “historical documents.” Those poor people… ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/39 "2026-01-01T20:03:54Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Von Daniken This guy’s wiki page makes him sound like a writer of Scientology fan fiction… [Erich von Däniken - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_D%C3%A4niken?wprov=sfla1) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/40 "2026-01-01T20:06:10Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > This guy’s wiki page makes him sound like a writer of Scientology fan fiction His book _Chariots of the Gods?_ was really popular when I was a kid in the '70s, and he was one of the big early proponents of “the gods of ancient religions were actually aliens.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244.md?page=3)