The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has published a report, Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by 2030, which enumerates, based on NASA's assessment that we need to limit the additional average world temperature rise due to greenhouse gases to 1˚C above the year-2000 level, the results of their studies of how energy efficiency and the use of renewables could achieve this goal. Estimates are that industrialized nations must reduce emissions about 60% to 80% below today’s values by mid-century.
The results of these studies show that renewable energy has the potential to provide approximately 40% of the U.S. electric energy need projected for 2030 by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). After we reduce the EIA electricity projection by taking advantage of energy efficiency measures, renewables could provide about 50% of the remaining 2030 U.S. electric need.
The following table summarizes the potential carbon reduction contributions from the various areas. (Energy efficiency contributions in the buildings, transportation, and industry sectors are combined into one number) (in MtC/yr in 2030).
| Energy efficiency | 688 |
| Concentrating solar power | 63 |
| Photovoltaics | 63 |
| Wind | 181 |
| Biofuels | 58 |
| Biomass | 75 |
| Geothermal | 83 |
The headline is very misleading because the report was never meant to be an aggressive plan. If you already know that the potential for renewable energy is enormous, do not bother reading this. If you were looking for some sort of performance figures to indicate the potential for actually reducing the ghg, do not bother reading this report.
Posted by: Kit P. | February 21, 2007 at 12:19 PM
This is not a plan. It is a pdf version of some back of the napkin scribbling about potential.
For it to be more like a plan, you would cost and detail how the land rights would be obtained for the big fields of solar and wind. Plus some of the logistical aspects of getting things built. You would look at getting some companies that could actually build some of the pieces to get behind it, by saying what they need to scale up. List out some proposed legislation to get it rolling. Legislation to support energy efficiency which is over half of the gains needs to be spelled out for the local building codes and other state and federal legislation. Start signing up some mayors, county supervisors etc... Start at eco-friendly places. Berkeley etc... How do you get political support and money for lobbying ? Who are the allies of this legislation who will pay to get legislation passed ? Map out the county by county, city by city, state by state plan to get the most important bits of this moving. (Note: this is another reason why if you are going to make an enemy of coal, that it is good to have Nuclear as a friend. with Nuclear as a friend you can get GE, Westinghouse and others behind you.)
Break things down for what happens this year, next year, first five years, first ten years. Layout some targets and costs.
Prioritize some things. Where are the low hanging fruit? Where are the biggest bangs to start off with?
Replacing the new coal and gas construction would be nice, but can you get at the old coal plants with grandfathered rights to be 100 times more polluting.
Cars. 15 million new cars and trucks in the US. A few hundred thousand hybrids. About 300 million cars and trucks old cars and trucks on the streets of the US now.
Posted by: Brian Wang | February 21, 2007 at 03:01 PM
Good job Brian. BTW, I have a plan similar to those used for fossil fuel. It is amazing that renewable energy advocates have not figured out that utilities will not need to build coal plants if someone builds renewable energy to meet the need.
Posted by: Kit P. | February 21, 2007 at 09:06 PM
Jason,
You can discover what Steven Carew "has got" by visiting wholesale the website for Rhino Hydro. There are a few "update" items there, dated 2004.
But, the essence of Steve's invention is described under the "technical" menu selection, as follows:
"This electro generating plant employs magnets and springs to help create a perpetual motion which hiphone drives a generator. Thus giving you the electricity you need."
Get the picture, Jason? Hard to imagine Steve can't get funding . . .2945abc45 0422
Posted by: Android Tablet PCs | April 22, 2011 at 04:34 AM