Why Wind and Solar?
December 18, 2011
The fossil fuel industry claims we should not invest in electricity from wind and solar energy because the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. This is true however wind farms and solar panels in different locations all interconnected and monitored with a smart grid can send power where and when it is needed. The US also has sufficient clean bio fuels and bio waste (carbon neutral renewable energy) that can be used to generate base load power when wind and solar power is not available. The North East is rich in bio fuels and should be using more of this cheap abundant home grown renewable energy to also displace foreign oil. This fuel does not have to be transported thousand of miles by rail or boat to its final destination and supports job creation in local communities. Two stage turbine high efficiency clean bio gas (carbon neutral renewable energy) powered power plants can quickly be brought on line to fill in the need for more power in any location.
Bottom Line: A smart grid powered by a hybrid renewable energy system is the cleanest, most efficient and economical way of producing power in the USA.
Risk and cost assessment facts of using fossil fuels over renewable energy:
The fossil fuel industry claims electricity from wind and solar power is too expensive and will cost the US jobs. They also say if the US converts to renewable energy like wind and solar power the US will not be able to compete in the global market place.
The renewable energy industry response is the burning of fossil fuels and the use of nuclear power to produce electricity represents one of greatest threats to mankind as a species on our plant in the 21st century. There is no such thing as clean coal and it is an anomaly. World climate scientist have repeatedly warned Governments around the world with the risk associated with the continued use of fossil fuels and their potentially damaging impact to our environment. Cigarettes in the US at one time were cheap and thought to aid in the digestion of food. Now they are a known health hazard heavily taxed by our Government to reduce their use and pay for the billions in health care cost they cause.
The renewable energy industry also would like every American to know there are still over 500 coal fired power plants in the USA spewing millions of tons of toxic substances onto our land and into our water and sea every year all in the name of cheap electricity and US jobs.
For decades the fossil fuels industry has benefited from trillions of dollars in government subsidies and tax breaks to their industry in the form of corporate welfare. This industry also for decades has managed to avoid regulation of the toxic substances they produce. This same industry in the last 40 years has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to influence government at every level that their industry is safe and necessary. They now claim new environmental laws that should have been enforced 20 years ago are going to cost jobs and raise the price of electricity across the US adding more economic harm to an already fragile economy. Raising the price of cheap undervalued electricity in the US will create tens of thousand of jobs related to energy conservation and efficiently and make America more competitive around the world. New environmental laws will also create tens of thousands of jobs cleaning up the coal industry and in the renewable energy sector. Keeping the status quo is costing the US billions of dollars in health care cost and lost worker productivity to our GDP every year associated with dirty electricity.
Bottom Line: When any industrialized society adds up the hidden cost to their society in dollars and human sacrifice of using dirty fossil fuels to produce their electricity they will quickly find clean energy from renewables is the better alternative for their society going in the 21st century.
Heath care cost associated with dirty power:
The North East in the last 40 years has become the dumping ground for dirty coal fired power plants in the Midwest.
Coal fired power plants in the last 40 years have been responsible for tens of thousands of US deaths and debilitating illnesses such as cancer and respiratory diseases.
Summer elevated unsafe ozone levels in the North East are directly attributed to respiratory illnesses and the pollution from coal fired power plants in the middle of our Country.
The mining, transportation and burning of coal and other fossil fuels is polluting every aspect of our environment at an unprecedented rate never before seen on our planet.
Toxic substances such as arsenic and mercury are showing up in our lakes, drinking water and food chain.
Pregnant women in the USA are now warned not to eat excessive amounts of canned tuna because of the amount of mercury found in this fish
When a US citizen commits premeditated murder they get the death penalty in some states. When corporate America kills tens of thousands of US citizens over the last 40 years in the name of cheap electricity and jobs they get off scot free.
Bottom Line: Wind and solar power is non polluting and has no health care cost associated with its use.
Efficiency and damage to our environment:
In addition to the health care cost associated with burning coal these same coal fired power plants are on average35% efficient around the USA.
What this means is 65% or most of the millions of tons of coal energy delivered to a power plan is lost up the smoke stack and ejected into our rivers lakes and oceans in the form of heat.
This wastes heat energy going into our environment is also considered a major pollutant because it disrupts the ecosystems of plants, animals and marine life.
The fossil fuel industry also claims wind turbines kill millions of birds around the globe and fossil fuels do not. Their claim is false and more birds die form flying into glass and dirty air, land and water from fossil fuels every year than wind turbines.
Renewable energy does not produce toxic waste associated with its use. The waste from burning coal is considered toxic and has gone under regulated for decades.
Bottom Line: Efficiency of wind and solar power systems is insignificant because they are non polluting.
Transmission losses:
The average amount of power lost from a power plant in the US to end user is between seven and ten percent.
A coal fired power plant is not 35% efficient but less than 30% effect when you factor in transmission losses.
Bottom Line: Wind and solar power can be located in or around cities to reduce transmission losses because they are non polluting.
