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>> I searched for "high voltage DC" in that article and didn't see a mention of it, or anything much else about long distance transport of power.

Since they want to use solar/electricity to produce hydrocarbon fuels, there is no need to transport electricity. Make the fuels where the sun shines. Maybe build a pipeline or two out of the desert.

I think it might be viable for aircraft even if ground transport eventually goes all electric.

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But it seems they need places with ample sunshine and water to electrolyze. That rules out the American west, the Sahara, etc. If they can use seawater, then arid coastal areas could work.

They use vast amounts of seawater, storing the leftover brine, or crystallized salt in huge quantities will become a problem.

Existing medium sizee drinking water desalination plants already create a huge amount of brine.

Why would you store it, instead of mixing it back in the sea?

I guess you would need some pipes and pumps to move it away from your inlets, but that seems comparatively cheap.

because shoving all that brine back into the sea in the general area of the desalination plant causes a localized ecological disaster and dead zone of marine life

As said, use some pipes and pumps to move it away. Don't forget to dilute (again, use pipes and pumps or whatever you prefer).

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