The Energy Challenge: Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits

It certainly is a challenge. We must not forget about transmission when on this renewable energy bender. Our grid is composed of one hundred year old technology. If we want to start transmitting power from the windy plains or the sunny west to the coasts then we will have to build new transmission lines. No question about it. A sobering statement from the article,

"The windiest sites have not been built, because there is no way to move that electricity from there to the load centers."

We have a lot of work to do. But a possible solution may be in the concept of localization. Or in other words our communities and neighborhoods are going to have to start producing power locally as opposed to getting the power from a utility miles away. Local power production, local food production, and local manufacturing would help to solve a lot of problems, no?

The End of Suburbia - Gulp!

In my Intro to Energy class this week, we eased into the semester by watching the movie, "End of Suburbia." In addition to scaring the hell out of me, that movie was a clear demonstration of how finite fossil fuels really are and at the same time how dependent upon them we are. Our American lives are completely wrapped up in oil (of which about 60% comes from the Middle East) and coal for electricity. An interesting point in the movie was that the American way of life was in some respect guided by the consumption of fossil fuel (think the suburbs, roads, commutes, transporting food in trucks and cars, instead of increasing density urban development, rails and trains, walking and localized food production). Fossil fuels are our masters, but according to this documentary not for long.

The documentary also discusses the theory (now fact?) of peak oil and explains the growing consensus of belief in that theory by policy makers and scientists around the planet. Most are beginning to realize that peak oil is occurring now (the sweet light crude oil has been pumped already, and the Middle Eastern nations are spending extra money and energy extracting the heavier, harder to refine crude oil at the bottom of the wells. This all leads to an extended refining process, a gradual dwindling of supply and of course higher prices for everything). Simply put, our economy can't grow at a regular rate without reliable and cheap fossil fuels. What happens if it becomes cost prohibitive to ship goods from China to our shores? Well for one, we will have to start creating the goods locally. In addition, we will begin to see the end of big-box retailers and the rise of local mom and pop stores.

So get the movie for a good dose of reality and let's start to think about life after oil. You may think that I am crazy for even suggesting that oil will run out. Life without oil! It's just not possible. Well, we can't burn our way into oblivion (whether it be coal or oil) because the supply is finite. We can't burn our way into oblivion because the environment of the planet and the health of humans and animals can't handle the carbon emissions. We can't burn our way into oblivion because the global demand is outpacing supply, oil output has peaked, and an economy can't continue grow without reliable electricity and transportation means.

It is time for us to make short and long-term plans to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, in addition to retrofitting suburbia into localized, urban-like units where we can walk to the store, we can grow our own food for our local neighborhood instead of driving to the grocery to get food trucked in from out of state, and were we can start to get to know our neighbors so that ideas on how to confront this crisis will flourish.

Inside the Future of Electric Cars, Hydrogen and Next-Gen Biofuels

Informative article on what our future could look like with respect to fuel. My money's on plug-in electric vehicles and more light rail transportation (for longer journeys). We will have to start getting serious about our modes of transportation to and from work. We will either have to move closer to our jobs, work from home more often, create more public transportation, and/or creating electric/hydrogen/biofuel cars. Or how about all of the above!

Vestas Launches $100 Million Consumer Ad Campaign In U.S.

Vestas is putting up a lot of dough for a wind marketing campaign to educate the U.S. public about this "modern energy" and clean technology. We are going to need all of the education on this topic that we can get.

Plane that Flies on Solar Power

This is a crazy and beautiful expression of human imagination and ambition. The inventors (Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg) have built a solar-powered plane and hope to circumnavigate the globe one day soon. One their reasons for trying this was that they simply wanted to fly without fuel. Cool. I wish I could go with them while they fly that thing around the planet. And we wish those gents the best of luck.

Vestas Pursues 'Modern Energy'

Nice article on the Vestas Wind Systems in The Pueblo Chieftain. It gives you a little history about the company. Vestas is the Danish wind turbine company building a couple of plants here in Colorado. These new plants will employ a thousands of people around the state. And it also looks like Vestas is building a plant in Pueblo as well.

Ag Secretary: Biofuels Good for Farmers, Security

What a hack. Not to mention a fabricator. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer decided to blow smoke up the yin yang's of South Dakotan farmers the other day, by saying that biofuels are going to bring them riches and improved national security. You'll be rich! I'm sure that those farmer's have smelled enough cow manure in their day...

Bloomberg Calls for Alternative Energy

In addition to businesses speaking up about renewable energy, we also need mayor's and governor's engaging their constituents on the issue. Renewable energy doesn't just have to be for the suburban or rural folks. We can start thinking about how to transfer our urban areas into renewable energy power plants.

Business Leaders: Make Renewable Energy Cheaper

I am glad businesses are speaking up on renewable energy because that's the way Congress will listen (they certainly don't listen to us). In this case Google and G.E. say that renewable energy needs to be cheaper. I agree. One of the ways to begin to make it cheaper is to take subsidies away from oil companies and give it to the renewable energy industry and individuals in the form of tax credits. But since the Republicans in Congress have repeatedly blocked the extension of renewable energy tax credits we are at this impasse, with an entire clean tech industry waiting to take off.

Google Digs into Wallet for Geothermal Energy

Google's philanthropic arm dumps a cool $10 million (pocket change for them) into an enhanced geothermal method. I also like Google's goal to generate 1 gigawatt of energy from renewable sources. Go Google (and I am not just saying that because they provide the platform for this blog).