Jan 31, 2008

Did Scientific American Steals Jimmy Carters Plan?

As usual... Scientific American has come up with a under expensed, over engineered plan to end U.S. dependence on foreign oil using solar energy.
President Carters dream didn't happen and Scientific American's won't unless a better "united" approach is not taken. Every state has "viable" renewable energy sources that can take the U.S. off outside sources in a decade. But, plans like this drive a renewable reality into just another "dream".  Read more on this here
Better than the poorly laid out trillion dollar conceptual idea from Scientific America ..  I would implore that just California enact a target date to be "off grid using ONYL renewable energy.
California holds over 10% of the U.S. population and consumes more than 15% of U.S. energy... still using natural gas for 50% of their needs (Yikes)
It would be nice if they could use all the "Free Energy" at their disposal as they have the highest capacity at their disposal:
CA Generating Capacity for renewable energy... Source (DOE)
    * Biomass: 1,022.0 MW
    * Geothermal: 2,463.0 MW
    * Hydroelectric: 13,109.0 MW
    * Photovoltaic: 41.0 MW
    * Solar Thermal: 354.0 MW
    * Wind: 1,922.0 MW
Then focus on selling excess renewable energy as a commodity like the French.

If California just supplied their own renewable energy and sold excess their boarding states we would reach Jimmy Carters dream of 20% renewable energy supplying the U.S.
Just a few decades too late ;-(

Ohhh how we forget...

On July 15 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered his politically inopportune "malaise speech", remembered for its downcast assessment of the country's mood. Less well-known is this startling passage: "I will soon submit legislation to Congress calling for the creation of this nation's first solar bank, which will help us achieve the crucial goal of 20% of our energy coming from solar power by the year 2000."


Suffice it to say, 2000 came and went, and solar still provides less than 1% of US energy.

What will happen is a constant balance of tax, credits and subsidy's that continue to push energy options that ARE NOT sustainable... continuing to push our nation into a economic and environmental hole.


History and Math needed in U.S. Congress