There is renewable energy potential for half of America's energy needs.

Date:   6/16/2010 3:23:16 PM ( 14 y ago)

In response to the Presidential address on replacing fossil fuels with renewables, the fossil fools [oilmen] are saying "there is just not enough wind and solar to meet America's needs", and "the problem is that oil companies are driven to deep water drilling because they are not allowed to drill in shallow waters".

Those statements are misguided. Perhaps "outright lies" is a better description of their statements.

There is enough wind and solar energy in the continental USA to meet at least HALF of America's energy needs, and if that much renewable energy was in place it would take the pressure off of oil supplies. America would not need to get oil from risky sources in that case, and it could even reduce the amount of imported oil.

In fact, America would only need half the amount of oil it uses now if wind and solar were well utilised.

A more intelligent statement would be "the USA should get as much energy as possible from wind, solar, and wave power as is practically possible", rather than just blathering on about how government regulations keep oil in the ground [because we NEED to keep that oil in the ground for many reasons].


---------------------------------Solar:

"A desert area [i.e.USA Southwest] 10 miles by 15 miles could provide 20,000 megawatts of power, and the electricity needs of the entire United States could theoretically be met by a photovoltaic array within an area 100 miles on a side."
> http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_time_future.html




Map of USA Solar energy > http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/solar-map.htm


And, just for trivia: ""The amount of solar radiation striking the earth over a three-day period is equivalent to the energy stored in all fossil energy sources." [but we cannot turn all of that into electricity of course]


-------------------------Wind:

Worldwide Wind Potential:
"According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the world's winds could theoretically supply the equivalent of 5,800 quadrillion BTUs (quads) of energy each year--more than 15 times current world energy demand. (A quad is equal to about 172 million barrels of oil or 45 million tons of coal.) "

USA:
"U.S. wind resources are even great - North Dakota alone is theoretically capable of producing enough wind-generated power to meet more than fourth of U.S. electricity demand."

US Dept of Energy Wind Energy
> http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp




 

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