Science Scene - Energy Options (for you Nat :o)

So, as we focus on energy policy and alternatives, what does it really mean?  I did some research into pros and cons of alternative energy, and also about the required footprint for the two most talked about solutions - solar and wind.  Read the following with the appropriate sense of skepticism, as I am not an expert, nor do I play one on TV :o)

 

Solar Energy - Our sun is the greatest source of energy we know about today, it comes to us freely and is efficient. It is very possible that solar power can replace traditional electricity sources in many places, especially where there is abundant sunshine. Unfortunately not all places are ideal for solar power. In the areas at high latitude there is not enough sunlight in a day to produce efficient energy, and the same for places where it rains a lot.

 

Wind Energy - Wind is very efficient at producing electricity. Obviously you need a lot of wind, like along coast lines and at high altitudes. Wind power could replace up to 20% of our total electric consumption in the foreseeable future. Wind is a clean source of energy with none of the harmful byproducts like carbon dioxide. However the huge blades of the windmills do pose a danger to birds and you need a lot of room to build a sufficient number of windmills.

 

Hydroelectric Energy - This type of power is mainly sourced from dams. The production of electricity from the water movement is clean and it does not produce waste material. However, the ideal type of places to build this is very limited and it is very expensive to build the dams.

 

Tidal Energy - Tidal energy work much in the same way as hydroelectric energy, but on a smaller scale, and it uses the natural tides of the ocean. There are several drawbacks though. Because of the sometimes violent and unpredictable nature of the ocean, they cannot be constructed in many places. So far only about 9 places have been identified to build these kinds of power plants. And these power plants can have a negative impact on migratory birds and also fisheries.

 

Biomass - Biomass can be used to produce an alcohol that is comparable to coal and can be used to replace our gasoline needs. The biomass may consist of fermented animal waste, agricultural crops, grains and other natural products. However, using the resulting fuel still produces greenhouse gases.

Other forms of energy such as fusion, geothermal and nuclear power can power the world, but they all have some negative impact on the environment.

 

You already know where I stand on Nuclear Power, so I will not even discuss this most viable and realistic solution to our energy issues :o)

 

It seems all forms of alternative energy have some drawbacks, but they all are better options to replace our current dependency on coal and oil.

 

I spent some time today doing some research and calculations, and while not official, it should give you a rough idea of the order of magnitude required to replace our existing coal and nuclear energy production capacity. The numbers and land space are astronomical.

 

One Nuclear Power Plant = 1100 MegaWatt (MW) electrical

 

Solar Footprint to replace = 58,000 square miles (240 x 240 miles)

 

Wind Footprint to replace =   6,900 square miles (83 x 83 miles)

 

Nuclear supplies approximately 20% of our power needs.

 

Total Solar Footprint to power the USA = 30 Million sq mi (5500 x 5500 miles)

 

Total Wind Footprint to power the USA = 360,000 sq mi (1895 x 1895 miles)

 

So, if alternative energy and nuclear (due to politics and waste disposal concerns [a.k.a., Yucca Mountain]) are not the solution, what other options do we have?  I say that coal is the interim solution, especially as we continue to investigate and implement clean coal technologies.

 

 

Coal Factoids

• Wyoming is the largest coal-producing state.
• Coal accounts for half of the electricity use in the U.S.
• Coal costs less than any other major fossil fuel source.
• The world’s largest producers and consumers of coal are China, Poland, Russia, India and the United States.
• Total world consumption of marketed energy is projected toincrease by 57 percent from 2004 to 2030.
• Coal’s share of total world energy use climbed from 25 percent in 2003 to 26 percent in 2004 and is expected to increase to 28 percent by 2030.
• America has more than 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, the equivalent of 800 billion barrels of oil, more than three times Saudi Arabia’s proven oil reserves.
• Texas is the largest coal-consuming state in the U.S. and is the largest consumer of electricity.
• According to an electric power industry journal, 23 of the 25 power plants in the U.S. that have the lowest operating costs (and therefore provide power to their consumers at the lowest prices) are powered by coal.
• Today, America’s coal-based generating fleet is 70% cleaner (based upon regulated emissions per unit of energy produced) thanks, in part, to $50 billion invested in new technologies.
• Since 1970, the use of coal to generate electricity in the U.S. has nearly tripled in response to growing electricity demand.
• U.S. electricity demand continues to increase even as energy efficiency gains are made. Despite the fact that we are continuing to become more energy efficient, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that electricity demand will grow by 41% by 2030.
• Using coal to generate electricity is less than a 1/3 of the cost of other fuels.
• Intermittent energy resources like wind and solar are used for meeting peak energy demand because they are not always available. That is different from coal, which is used to provide “baseload” power — the constant, steady supply of electricity we depend upon throughout the day.
• America has more than 200 years of available coal reserves.