Consumers and politicians alike recognize a need to reduce the country’s dependence on conventional fuels in the long term, yet there is much disagreement about how this goal could and should be achieved. To what extent should the government be involved in spurring innovation of wind and solar energy technologies? How can we overhaul our existing power grid? How do we pay for it?
The Truth About Alternative Energy
Nuclear energy has never been an easy sell in the U.S., but with 104 plants currently in operation and four new ones on the horizon, nuclear still has a foothold in the American energy grid.
But many other parts of the world are moving more quickly to establish nuclear as a mainstream rather than alternative energy source. More than 60 new nuclear plants are now under construction outside the U.S. — about half of them in China alone. So what’s holding us back?
Even if alternative energy becomes more economically viable and less politically divisive, a variety of logistical challenges must still be addressed before it can gain a foothold in the U.S. electric grid. Existing energy storage technology can’t hold a charge long enough to meet demand at peak times. Rapid increases in electricity generation are straining transmission lines in several parts of the country. Lengthy construction times and an antiquated centralized utility system are also barriers to widespread adoption.
At a series of recent forums at The University of Texas at Austin, energy experts discussed these problems as well as some approaches that could help solve them.
When solar panel manufacturer Solyndra went bust in 2011, the government’s efforts to promote development of alternative energy technologies seemed to hit a dead end. Despite receiving a $535 million federal loan guarantee two years earlier, the company abruptly filed for bankruptcy and laid off all of its employees, sparking a highly politicized debate over how (or whether) to invest public money in nascent renewable technologies that may or may not pay off in the long run.
With the average price of gasoline once again approaching $4 a gallon, the conversation about alternative energy sources is becoming increasingly animated and complex. Consumers and politicians alike recognize a need to reduce the country’s dependence on conventional fuels in the long term, yet there is much disagreement about how this goal should be accomplished. To what extent should the government be involved in spurring innovation of wind and solar energy technologies? How can we overhaul our existing power grid? How do we pay for it?
