I'm going to have to agree with Mr. Bowles on most of his points in his op-ed. The model of generating power in one place and then transmitting it over a wire a hundred miles away seems to me to be a bit outdated, if not cost prohibitive. I believe that my old friend, "localization" might need to be brought up again.
As Mr. Bowles mentions there are several methods of renewable energy production that are respective to their geography, "hydropower in the Northwest, solar in the Southwest, and wind farms offshore in the ocean." These green power methods can be produced regionally and distributed regionally. In addition, power generation from the grid can be supplemented with home power (PV, solar thermal) and energy efficiency methods (insulation, caulking, Energy Star appliances, efficient HVACs) which will reduce the need for power. Couple that with a dose of conservation and we might just have an abundance of clean energy.
So, although building new power transmission lines across the U.S. might provide for new jobs, we should take a serious look at localized energy production and distribution, which will be cost effective, will begin to perpetuate a localized mindset (think local agriculture, too), and will help eliminate single points of failure in the transmission grid. Who doesn't like a little home-grown love anyway?
Moving toward a more sustainable, renewable, and efficient world.
How do we get there?
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