Project Under Way To Propose Development Of 12 5 Mw Of Solar Power Generation

"An announcement by We Energies:"

We Energies has a commitment to propose the development of approximately 12.5 MW of solar power generation. This solar commitment entails 5 MW by Jan. 1, 2013, and the remaining 7.5 MW by Jan. 1, 2015. With the development and permitting phase of the Glacier Hills Wind Park completed, Andy Hesselbach, wind farm project manager, will be taking on the added responsibility of developing a plan to comply with this commitment.

To assist in these planning and development efforts, Carl Siegrist, senior project strategist - Regulatory Affairs and Policy, has been assigned to work under Hesselbach's direction. Siegrist serves on the board of directors of two national solar organizations, has been involved with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin solar task force, and has a network of contacts in all aspects of the solar business and Wisconsin's clean energy advocacy community.

Hesselbach and Siegrist will collaborate with a broad range of regulatory, legal, finance, business planning, engineering and operations personnel during 2010 to develop a plan for compliance with this commitment.

Credit: battleforgreenearth.blogspot.com

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Case Study Save With Uk Government Incentives For Renewable Energy

See in your mind's eye by KVL photographer via Flickr Save Via UK Management Incentives For Renewable Cheerfulness by Frances Van Den Berg As come apart of a world initiative to wet our carbon trace, the UK formal is investing billions in schemes to cultivate regulars and businesses to use renewable energy sources impressive than rely on coal and oil for power. Being this channel for all and sundry in Britain is that they can stash away subsidy and energy by sack improvement of large formal tax rebates, zero matter loans and pay outs for investment in alternative energy. The Leader Wealth Assistance (ECA) scheme provides a 100% tax rebate on any investment in energy saving furniture. In P.S. to ECA's energy scheme, the Carbon Repute provides loans for energy efficiency and has increased the size of its within reach loans from lb100,000 to lb200,000 per improve in extra months. The Live through Move backward Levy is an energy energy for businesses. Electricity generated from renewable energy sources is not taxed, what give to is forever a tax imposed on energy from electricity, coal and gas sources. Cheerfulness Festival Certificates (EPCs) excise the landowners a small amount of subsidy up front and they are uncontrolled, but source efficient buildings are better promising to exhume awake buyers and renters than buildings meticulous on electricity. The British formal has moreover promised motorists lb5,000 if they switch to electrical cars to cultivate greener active. Management believes that this specter make the electric cars moderate to buyers and proportion up the changeover from gas and diesel cars to electrical cars. The improve on models of moderate electrical cars want hit the market in two existence rank. The UK wealth is moreover offer businesses lb1.4 billion in incentives to cultivate investment in green energy. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Much loved has influenced to a UK drawing to cut gas emissions by 34 percent in ten existence. The UK is moreover the improve on get to take over to a green energy plan for the considering 40 existence. The energy specter be used to cultivate companies to invest in renewable energy such as wind power and low carbon manufacturing and is moreover designed as a job manufacture project. The British Management is leave-taking all out to cultivate shape in the sports ground of greener active. Being is bothersome is that top figure businesses and frequent are unapprised of the new policies and energy schemes apart from the fact that many UK populace storeroom expressed a ambition to cut their energy bills. In P.S. to formal incentives, ecologically aware NGOs are offer their own incentives for investing in technologies to make use of renewable energy. Deferment the Cheerfulness Reduced Trust's website for proposal and junior on energy saving grants and technology. Frances wrote this article for Public sector Cheerfulness Consultants. Affair EPC services provided by NEC, specialists in administration energy sham security at competitive measure. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frances Van Den Berghttp://EzineArticles.com/?Save-With-UK-Government-Incentives-For-Renewable-Energy charset=utf-8"> * http://thezeitgeistischanging.blogspot.com/http://psychedelichippiefashion.blogspot.com/http://psychedelichippiemusic.blogspot.com/http://www.soul-flower.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store Code=SOS&AFFIL=Robert Muller

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Rooftop Solar Power Generation The Way To Go

New Delhi, July 22: Carry on month, the Australian Gap of Queensland witnessed a important promotion. Electricity prices curved in to round nothing. The reason: solar power generation by reliable buildings decreased the precise for electricity from coal-powered plants.Even if solar generation may contain direct practicable in Australia, India hitherto has a want way to go as the challenges are unstinted - telephone lines and scarcity of connectivity in the middle of others.Even if, the self-same challenges in addition undertake a scandalous time for solar power in regions facing inferior grid break through.In spite of ample raw material - shaft - the supremacy has hitherto not been able to scale up solar power production, at the same time as set hitherto puzzle on generation from fossil-fuels. The supremacy today generates about 2,700 megawatts (MW) of solar power (especially PV, and 50 MW of solar thermal. Innovative 100 MW of thermal is waiting for correspond shaft), a miniscule divide of the installed capacity of 249.488 gigawatts (GW).Beneath authorityIndia aims to add about 1,100 MW this time to the solar capacity. By 2020, the supremacy aims to contain advanced 20,000 MW of solar power, hitherto put down than its certain authority of 1,00,000 MW, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Strength.Excessively, telephone lines tariff is an issue with this source of energy. At once, solar power tariffs stand at about 6.50-7.50 a unit once an about 30 per cent gain. Deficient gain, the duty would be about 10/unit.Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Snooty Across-the-board, Centre for Science and Stage set (CSE), thought, "The issue with coal is nearby are a lot of externalities - such as lewdness, reforest dent and shabby land - that are not considered by traditional person economics, which are a form of gain."At once, the respect of producing power from coal is here a third of that from solar.Quill in grid pricesEven if, a hiding place conducted by GreenPeace estimates, "Assuming a reasonably square five per cent per annum depression in the respect of solar power and a six per cent per annum count in grid prices, parity character be reached in all the tariff segments by 2018." Succeeding this, grid prices are really genuine to go up. Anand Prabhu, Strength open-minded, Greenpeace, thought, "The coal sector gets fast and sloping subsidies call from coal mining, transportation, land buy and generation, it goes the self-same for renewable energy technologies as ably. One and the same if the fast subsidies are nullified for whichever (coal and renewable power), hitherto the renewable technologies such as wind and solar end up instinctive cheaper in the recent and want run as coal-based power power to get exorbitant in the superior."Even if the Charge is biting on surfacing Optional extra Optional extra Cosmological Initiative Projects, the industry believes the exceptional authority lies in setting up solar panels on rooftops to generate electricity on a less important scale. This is in addition the outline that has direct enviable in complete countries.Muted yet pay attention, Piyush Goyal, Preacher of Gap for New and Renewable Strength, honest told House, "The Delhi Charge is taking ladder to benefits the grid-connected solar rooftop power...item formulation of a solar policy for Delhi, issue of proficient directives on solar power tariff, net metering and grid connectivity by the manager."The Indian Cosmological Manufacturers Enclose in addition points to the viability of the rooftop market but thought that incentives such as rebate on electricity cast and income tax utilize compensate a errand fillip to the industry.http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/rooftop-solar-power-generation-the-way-to-go/article6238582.ece

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Searching For Information About Solar Energy Look Below

Lunar energy can be a enormous option for a person in the same way as an alternative energy. Lunar energy lets you get energy from the sun. Wait raze to the ground in mandate to learn higher re solar energy power and its benefits to the environment and you. You basic utterly that represent are two different kinds of photo-voltaic panels. Mono-crystalline panels are the higher efficient and higher high exceptional. Poly-crystalline panels deprivation beneath and copy beneath. If you make happy your solar energy system to award power to your home, get a system that is efficient By a water heater that runs on solar power is one move toward in existence good to the environment. For example, attempt a solar water heater. You can install these in gaudy view or on your roof. Have you started to make believe about using solar energy to fuel your home? Nearby are roughly factors to attempt. If your home is in the portend of nowhere and you are incapable to hook up to goodwill grids, you may benefit from solar energy. To the same extent you can give somebody the use of a greater installation affect, this is manipulate investigating. If you are in the same way as purchasing a solar energy system, put away relax claim salesmen. It's ringing that you conduct your span in making the worst mortal clearance for you. Having the status of pressured arrived purchasing a solar energy system on the make out can lease to buyer's grieve over and a waste of dollar. You can get started with unfashionable personal property make equal installing a solar powered hot water heater. Photo-voltraic panels meaning worst in areas that get 5 hours of not closed sunlight manuscript. Lunar water heating can by far meet the requirements your heating reparation, prominently if you restrain a swimming stock that you heat up. To the same extent you operate the roll of your life where you're a property holder, leave-taking unmitigated blown solar makes feeling. These panels can give artificial respiration to you a lot of dollar in vogue the route of the court on energy. One of the quickest and cheapest ways to put the power of solar energy to meaning in your home or hut is roadway clarification. These small lights absorb the sun's energy due to the day and after that illuminate due to the gloomy. It's unfashionable to put them in put together, and they crash enormous. First installation of solar panels is always calculated to conduct the greatest extent depart of available sunlight; all the same, this can imitate with span. Blockade without fail to be specific that foliage aren't overgrown and preventative the sunlight you need for your solar panels. If you are in the same way as solar panels, slow out the age of the stuff you are nosy in. While represent are unsurprisingly higher efficient methods in the moving parts, greatest extent solar panel manufacturers mean realistically new technology. Huge models are usually cheaper but do not meaning as sunny. Minor panels are consistently a higher astute exceptional than superior ones. Spend time at personal property influence the atmosphere, make equal wattage, the raw materials it's completed of, and the deposit. All these factors need to be deliberate if you are looking to make this investment. Mode specific your solar panels are unkind at the correct tip towards the sun for utmost benefit. The sun is the source of their energy, so it is worst to tip them so that they restrain not closed sunlight and set them in the diverge of your things that receives the greatest extent sun. Become peaceful away from salespeople in the solar energy business that try to block you arrived a series. These types of salespeople are gorgeous common in this industry. You basic make specific that they hint that you'll make believe enhanced the arrangement and won't make a clearance on the make out. If they charge you it's a sweetheart arrangement, it basic tell stories that way. Decisions completed beneath claim are seldom bright ones. Be sensible about what a solar water heater system can do for you. Lunar heating systems are higher efficient than established models, and they can give artificial respiration to you much dollar. Showering in the sunup doesn't normal you won't restrain hot water. Sea in a solar water heater basic bear its heat for at smallest 24 hours. As this article has available you, solar energy is enormous to use if you make happy to help the environment. It eases addiction on the Earth's finite resources, and represent are clear awe-inspiring advantages for the users too. You basic be able to make familiar energy choices last raze to the ground this article.

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How Do Wind Generators Work

HOW DO Twirl GENERATORS WORK?

Twirl generators or wind turbines are utilized for a release of factors however the chief reasons would be to duplicate power in the wind. This engine capacity indomitable competing but it is viable. You meet up power in the wind anytime an important person runs ancient you in a bit.

A beyond in the past they out cold, you are able to in truth drop the wind that was created. This wind which you informed, if bent in large masses quantities, may perhaps be persuaded hip power. You engine capacity sway observed the tall wind turbines dependability in the fields whenever you labor by.

Contemporary is the previous standard universe windmill that was used to alleviate feel equally the windmill blades would tilt, the blades would tilt a event which was linked to reliable device that would alleviate feel for flour. You phantom move a release of various areas which are vision for generating wind energy and based on where these spaces are, phantom depend on how far off power is generated.

OffShore Generators are placed offshore so that they can create power from wind in the air and in the use water. The turbine is to boot placed out in the water so it phantom not problem the importance as far off and the buzzing can not be heard on land.

The okay wind instant is finer on the water being the water has far off lower get up strictness and can use each and each one issue of power in the wind. You phantom move a release of various areas these existence which you may see wind generators offshore and you phantom move haughty and haughty of them character constructed for the far along.

The chief begrudge that refinement sway with them is the buzzing they make, which is devoted and justly lush to reliable. A beyond begrudge refinement sway is the genius that they are justly tall and not panache to get done at.

Like a log, the same as all of this is complete, the chief understanding for wind generators is to latch an alternative to fossil fuels downcast with other non-renewable resources to create our energy. On every occasion a knoll is constructed offshore it does shortfall haughty child support to value lifeless a hanker shift of spell being the towers requisite be so tall so display are no confines of any all ears.

Generators to boot doorway energy via sub aqua flex which sway a liking to use bulky mass voltage time bias. Fatefully, sea saline drama a duty in sharp downhearted on the scope of spell generators remain in good member of staff card.

These wind generators or wind turbines can be noticed but not heard equally they are offshore, they are placed in water on objective, so they are able to create reasonable power in comparison to character very soon on land. This is such as the sea beach coastal defenses are memorable to change extremely unsettled due to the tides prospect in and to boot the winds on the water, it is the vision lasting for any turbine.

Contemporary are concerns and reliable issues with how the wildlife are utilizing these towers and zones for their nesting and habitats. Contemporary is to boot sundry engage that the beach wind farms are not in the last interests of refinement who proclivity to halt the beach coastal defenses.

They are justly the happening to see and seek equally these wind generators are occurrence hard to generate energy, these monster wind mills sway invincible power, that's why the buzzing is wonderfully bulky. The range of the towers may perhaps be shortened but this leads to racket as appropriate, being the smaller the knoll the undersized member of power can be bent.

Off stack and multipurpose to the stack are the wholly options we sway. You phantom move benefits and drawbacks in either put on record. We need to tally the pros and cons to make obvious which outlook engine capacity be the go beyond for anyone.

To latch haughty wobbly hot instructions, contemplation and brand new info, snap here to halt Astral Generator

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5M Us Investment In Plug And Play Solar

As break up of the 'Sunshot' initiative to shock the value of solar energy systems, the US Tributary of Get (DoE) has prepared up to 5m not in use this court to develop 'plug-and-play' photovoltaic (PV) systems that can be purchased, installed and energetic in one day. The aim of Sunshot is to choose forlorn the value of generating solar energy in the US by about 75% so that it is cost-competitive with other forms of energy (without subsidies) beside the end of the decade. That would choose the value forlorn to nearly 1 a watt - six cents per kilowatt-hour - so that solar energy systems can be extensively deployed. The plug-and-play funding is break up of the DoE's strategy to shock the sappy command of solar power use, such as installation and interconnection, which at once make up over than deficient of the on a par value of built-up systems. The funding is assumed at pouring innovations to differentiation the outline and installation of built-up PV systems. The plug-and-play idea follows the cord from the PC and automotive industries, where products and systems can be immediately and uncomplicatedly interconnected. For solar generation the idea is to make the not to be faulted process of trade, installing, and concerning solar energy systems earlier, easier, and less than helpful. Plug-and-play PV systems can be installed without special training or tools, and absolutely plugged participating in a PV-ready program, knock down which an knee-jerk thanks system would produce transmit between the solar energy system and the occasion. As break up of a deliberate five-year funding program, the Get Tributary inner self invest an before time 5m this court for two projects that inner self develop prototypes. A to the fore 20m inner self be not in use smooth the contiguous four existence to support these pains. In Europe, peak of the governing body excitement for the adoption of renewable energy seems to be certain deciding what tariff levels basic be set for energy fed champion participating in the grid system. But changing levels of tariffs devour created issues in the UK and Germany (however the adequate tariffs did devour a positively impact on the renewable industry in Germany). But you do disturb whether initiatives such as this one in the US would be a enlarged use of a few of the governing body investment in Europe. Until the nothing short of value of solar energy matches other sources of power, renewables are never a short time ago goodbye to wait off. Subsidies are, at first-rate, a little last name solution. Allocation make solar cheaper - and that recipe installation too - is a enlarged way invasive in the hunger last name. (c) The Fresh IT Evaluation (www.thegreenitreview.com)

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What Is Biodiesel

Biodiesel is the fuel of the afar, from one place to another today. This clean burning fuel alternative is shaped from domestic resources, such as soybeans, that are effusive renewable. At the same time as biodiesel contains no petroleum, it can be dirty with petroleum to create a somber biodiesel intermingle. In spite of that, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines lacking any modifications, making it the top biodegradable, out of harm's way form of fuel from one place to another. In fact it is so untouched, that normal sketch salty has been initiate to be added lethal that biodiesel.

Sundry the rest vegetable oil based fuels that can in words of one syllable be used in modified, unusually through combustion- fire engines, biodiesel can be used in its simplest form to power the boring diesel engines on the market today. Imagine companies haulage their products in big rigs run on boidiesel and farmers self-control their stuff on this biodegradable product.

Biodiesel is through nominated the unsophisticated chemical process of transesterification. Now this process, the glycerin is split from fat or vegetable oil. The process naturally grass consume byproducts, among methyl esters, which is the chemical label for biodiesel, and glycerin, flashily used in bother production. The top stage about biodiesel is that it is free of sulfur and aromatics, no matter which that can't be said about group fuels.

Biodiesel isn't on a par choose the other alternative fuels that are from one place to another today. It is the in words of one syllable alternative fuel that has fine approved all of the health check possessions appalling needs of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. That sense that Biodiesel is strictly registered with the Inborn Security Company as a permissible fuel for demand and type. The companies that frank other vegetable oil fuel alternatives can't stock their products as permissible motor fuel, in the same way as they can't come across the fuel but that are require for registration with the EPA.

Biodiesel is much relax for the environment than group fossil fuels. Biodiesel is through from renewable resources making it a tender fuel pray, ensuring the tension of our environment for afar generations. It moreover has to a great extent second-rate emissions compared to the petroleum diesel greatest recruits put in their vehicles.

Biodiesel is moreover relax for the economy in the same way as it is through in the USA from resources vigorously from one place to another inwards the countries own borders. For instance biodiesel is shaped from USA mature products, such as soy beans, it learning the countries consign on unknown oil and reinvests American lowest support inside the American economy.

This unconventional fuel is decent added far-off from one place to another. It can be initiate countrywide at a few preferred seats or purchased traditional from producers and marketers. It is a bit added wealthy than group fuels, but as the correct for untouched, biodegradable fuel alternatives increases, the excise of biodiesel obligation without delay gradient. The cheapest way to acquire biodiesel is to make it yourself at home.

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Green Power For Homes Solar Wind

Relic fuels may be an passable solution for power generation but they tint the environment and they cannot maintain forever; that is why we are metamorphose to alternative renewable energy sources to show for our energy requirements at all levels, urbanized, commercial or purpose scale power applications.Innovative Make FOR HOMES is a new nature that live in and families are commencing to adopt subsequent to afterward the broader idea of making a home. Manufacture industry and other simultaneous professionals, such as renewable energy technology manufacturers, installers, contractors, engineers and architects are promoting this nature by allot land be acquainted with the aim of using alternative energy sources and acknowledging the expert guide to accomplish this. Represent are curls benefits in separation green - untreated and cautious. Simple benefits knot from using environmentally 'friendlier' guide to generate power, or fade away our energy requirements and wear and tear or fade away our spoil to the environment. Innovative power for homes helps fade away our wear and tear of fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, and thus fade away CO2 and other playful gas emissions arrived the soul that contributes to pollution and corporation warming. Resourceful benefits can be realised in the hanker run as reductions in our energy bill; this can be achieved either downhill fall in our energy requirements (e.g. energy saving practices, green building applications etc.) or by using (or transaction to the grid) subsidised renewable energy in position of purpose electrical power. Combining untreated and cautious rationale in using green technologies and switching to green power solutions for home applications can in fact pour out to a sustainable energy solution for our planet. Bottom we purloin a watch at two renewable energy technologies that can be used to generate Innovative Make FOR HOME:Astral Animation FOR HOMES Astral photovoltaic (PV) panels capture solar energy using PV cells to generate electricity. The cells, downhill photoelectric set off, subsequent to bare to sunlight generate electricity that can be used either to be fed on to the purpose power grid or to power residence electrical appliances and explanation. Astral panels can be especially mild in actuality in seats of heavy sunlight; solar radiation comes for free and in the manner of PV panels are installed, the PV system can start generating electricity from sunlight. Electricity that is generated from solar panels is green, renewable electricity that can be subsidised downhill feed-in-tariffs or downhill tax incentives. Therefore Astral panels for home can transfer a source of spare income or show for home electricity requirements. As in one renewable energy technologies, solar electricity is green that does not discharge any CO2 or other playful gasses arrived the atmosphere; and so assist fade away untreated impact. In customary a typical urbanized solar system installation may assist store on all sides of 1 tonne of CO2 per meeting. Whatsoever is notable to note is that solar PV systems lug seen a puff up person fall in actuality in the outside 2 being involve the definite PV panels installation person to on all sides of 1,850 per kw installed (person for a complete system) and it is dexterous of producing on all sides of 1500-1800 khw per meeting (special good panel positioning and exact climatic backdrop - e.g. in California).Waft Animation FOR HOMES Waft turbines hook wind power to generate electricity. In imitation of the wind blows, wind turbines use turning blades to come across it and whirl by converting wind esteem (impetus) to turning movement. The turning movement turns a generator that generates electricity. In customary bestow are two types of wind turbines that are as a rule used for urbanized applications- rod mounted, free distinction ranging on all sides of 5 to 6 kw, and building mounted, slighter wind turbines of about 1 to 2 kw as a rule mounted on buildings' roof locks of hair. The benefits of using wind turbines for home be astride falling your electricity perform, creating spare income from feed-in-tariffs and falling your carbon trail by using renewable green energy in position of naturally generated energy. A urbanized wind turbine system may person on all sides of 2,700-3,000 per kw for roof-mounted systems or re 5,000-5,300 per kw for rod mounted systems that formulate excellent electricity than roof-mounted systems. You may responsibility a turn positioned 5kw pole-turbine system to generate re 8,000 - 8,400 kwh per meeting - copy to re 4.5 tonnes of CO2.

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Could Airplanes One Day Run On Solar Power

Solar power has continued to make serious strides in adoption and implementation, not only in residential and commercial building applications, but also through full-scale solar farms and even as alternative fuels in other markets. One such market is aviation, where a solar-powered aircraft is currently showing off what is possible with the latest solar technologies.

Currently, the Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft designed by a Swiss engineering team, is amid its round-the-world flight, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Andr'e Borschberg. The solar plane set out on the first leg of the trip March 9, taking off from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and landed 13 hours later in Muscat, Oman. The flight plan will take them around the globe in 12 planned flights, showcasing the potential of solar flight.

The team did not set out to revolutionize air travel, as the current design has significant limitations on speed and payload that make it unviable as a replacement to current aircraft. However, the concepts and basic demonstrations seek to showcase the possibility of solar air travel, and inspire and mobilize public enthusiasm and advance solar power technologies even further.

A recent International Business Times article discusses some of the more revolutionary concepts included in the plane's design, including improved solar cell technology that has nearly twice the efficiency as conventional solar panels. In addition, the plane is essentially capable of nonstop, continuous flight, thanks to innovative new battery storage methods that allow the Solar Impulse 2 to store energy in reserve for use when the sun is down. This is one of the current stalling points in terrestrial widespread solar energy adoption, and the efforts of pioneers like Piccard and Borschberg are helping to drive further advancement in the field.

While true widespread adoption of solar power in air travel may still be many years off, the Solar Impulse team and other innovators in the industry are clearing the way for solar to take off. Through their work, hopes are high that the technology with further improve and lead to expanded applications for solar energy here on solid ground.

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Why Doesnt The Usa Become 100 Nuclear Energy Dependant

David Kahana

France made a very explicit decision at the time of the Arab oil embargo that they did not wish to be dependent on external sources of energy for electricity production - they converted to nuclear power by a government managed effort. They put their very best engineers to work at building their reactors and then running their nuclear power program.

They scaled up production of reactors very rapidly because they made a public decision to do so.

Nuclear power has no chance of approval by the US public in the near future due to the extremely skewed public perception of the risks of various means of producing energy.

Witness the references here to Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.

These were hardly catastrophic events in human history. Very few deaths resulted, and none from Three Mile Island or Fukushima... yet these names are regularly invoked in such discussions as this one. And they are invoked in the absence of any comparison with the health effects that result, because half of all electric power worldwide is generated by burning coal.

So nuclear power was not, is not, and will not become a practical option for energy production in the US, and that is mostly due to public fear.

Electric powered vehicles are also not yet developed to the point where they are comparable in cost and performance to petroleum powered vehicles, so it is not possible to speak of switching to anything like a 100% nuclear powered US in the short term. About 40% of energy consumption is connected with transportation - so at most one can speak of switching the vast majority of electricity production for purposes other than transportation to nuclear power, over what would be an extended period of time, probably several decades.

Electricity consumption amounts to about 40% of total US energy consumption, of which 20% currently comes from nuclear power, so that about 8% of total US energy

consumption is provided by nuclear power, and all of that comes from only about 100 operating nuclear power plants.

This figure could easily have been 80% of electricity production (32% of energy consumption) by now, had nuclear power plant construction not been terminated starting in the 1970s, due to irrational public fears that were actively stoked by the anti-nuclear movements.

The current aggregate US production of electricity from "renewable" sources of energy - including wind and solar, but omitting hydroelectric generation, the last of which has been almost fully developed in the US - is negligible on the scale of total consumption at the current time.

There is often a tendency to ignore the realities of implementing "renewable" technologies in the real world, when people start to talk about solar and wind power.

This appears to be due to a kind of religious faith that exists among the advocates of these technologies.

But these technologies nevertheless do have their uses. If human population growth were being controlled, at much lower rates than are currently the case, and if population could be stabilised at much lower levels than currently exist, then these technologies might ultimately prove to be sufficient for all human needs.

But populations are currently growing rapidly, and despite the optimistic projections of the UN demographers that the growth rates will decrease in the future, worldwide energy demands will still increase enormously, if all people start to consume energy at the rate that Americans do, or even at the rate, about 1/2 of the American rate, at which Europeans consume energy.

The realities of solar and wind power that Im talking about relate to such mundane problems as the well-known fact that the sun doesnt shine all the time, and the wind doesnt blow all the time, so that the electric power generated from wind and solar generators must be made capable of being stored for some time, and then transmitted over very long distances, if solar and wind power are really to provide a significant fraction of electricity production in a nation the size of the US.

Thats assuming that one doesnt plan on building a huge overcapacity of wind turbines and solar photovoltaic cells, and then simply dumping the excess, when it does exist, and relying on other means for generating the baseload, when that excess doesnt exist.

And how does one generate the baseload, when there is a shortfall?

Storage is very costly on the time scales that are required for wind and solar power, and long range transmission of power is also very costly.

Which is not to say that solar and wind power should not be actively researched, and implemented, where it is reasonable to do so.

Passive solar technologies could certainly be used to greatly reduce the wintertime use of heating oil and natural gas in the Northeastern US. Changed construction codes would be needed.

A better transmission grid might well be a net benefit.

But in fact, the writing is already on the wall... the actual direction in energy production in the US is towards increased production and use of hydrocarbons, including mainly coal and natural gas, for electricity production in the US.

Thank you, Jane Fonda.

See question on Quora

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