The Rising Tide of Renewable Energy
by J.D. AdamsOctober 9th, 2007 at 10:24:45
The US Department of Energy has released statistics showing that the total consumption of renewable energy increased almost 7% in 2006. Solar power was in the lead with an increase of 45%, followed by biofuels at 27.6%. In the DOE Newsletter, it’s reported that Solar Thermal Power Plants of 200-300 MW are planned for Florida and California. In Tennessee, a switchgrass-to-ethanol plant is being planned.
This is all good news for our energy future, but the point of this blog is that it’s still not enough. At the EPA website, the relative merits of solar, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, and wind power are discussed. Where we would need to be with solar power is the equivalent of a 100 by 100 mile area in the southwest, which would meet the nation’s electricity requirements. That’s a long ways off…
Biomass can currently supply about 14 million dry tons, or enough to supply 3000 MW of electrical capacity. That’s just a piece of the energy pie.
Landfill Gas could be supported by about 1000 sites in the US, with 365 landfills currently being used to produce energy. Another small wedge in the pie.
Wind Power has grown dramatically here in the Columbia Gorge, and is feasible in mountain passes. The Plains and Rocky Mountain states could produce 10% to 25% of their own electrical power.
The reality is that no one single renewable source will save the day. Ethanol will not save the world, solar can only provide a fraction of our needs. Other issues aren’t widely recognized yet, like the fact that wind turbines are bird and bat killers. Considering what happened with the spotted owl, this kind of thing can’t be dismissed. But with the various limitations of renewable energy, this is the hand we’ve been dealt. All the cards will be necessary to win this game.
Lastly, here’s a couple of detailed reports on state-of-the-art in cellulosic research:
October 9th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Apologies. I misread the original report. The Federal Interagency Task Force on Strategic Energy fully accepted the recommendations of the Hirsch Report, paid for by DOE and delivered to them less than two years ago.
The Task Force recommends immediate unbridled development of oil sands, oil shale and conversion of coal to oil.
In keeping with this administration’s guiding philosophy they thumb their noses at climate change. Bring it on, they say. With regard to kerogen sources expect natural gas prices to go straight up the chimney. With coal-to-oil expect dirty air, extremely high carbon dioxide emissions and the price of coal (already 50 percent higher this year in Europe) to explode upward. The price of the product? I doubt you have that much money.
Happy holidays.