F.A.Q.s
HOW EXPENSIVE/REALISTIC IS RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Economics is among the most exciting aspects of the renewable energy conversation. Years ago, the price was a barrier to creating electricity with renewable generators such as solar panels. Now, the cost is on our side. The electricity generated by wind or solar is cheaper to make than electricity generated by gas or coal. It makes sense to move away from fossil fuels in creating the energy we use. We can save money and our environment. And the supply will never run out.
At the same time, new tools mean a new industry, which places us at the cusp of a new industrial revolution. The bottom line: more jobs. This clean energy industry will strengthen our economy by lowering costs, creating jobs, and creating a reliable and resilient system.
The cheapest option is now the most renewable, the best. These sources will continue to exist and produce energy as long as our Earth is spinning.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO FEEL LIKE ON ANY GIVEN TUESDAY WHEN WE HAVE A CARBON-FREE ENERGY SYSTEM?
Glad you asked. Day-to-day, you might not notice a difference. The cost will be lower and stable. You’ll never be without energy. Our country will avoid “energy security” political conflicts. You won’t have dangerous fossil fuels in your home or your car. The air and water will be cleaner. There will be less noise pollution. Blackouts will be a thing of the past.
HOW ARE BIG COMPANIES RESPONDING TO THE EXPANSION OF RENEWABLES?
They want to get in on it. What does that tell you?
The Super Majors, the largest oil and gas companies, recognize that the industry as they have known it is changing. And they are rebranding themselves. No longer “oil” companies, they are “energy” companies. Commitments made at the Paris Accord are a clear sign that globally, we will be using an ever-increasing amount of carbon-free renewable energy sources and reducing our use of fossil fuels. The super majors create strategies and make investments for decades to come, so they are planning for the shift to renewables. They are investing billions of dollars in clean alternatives to oil and gas. Read about Shell’s Sky Scenario.
WHAT ARE SOME SURPRISES IN THE SERIES?
There is a brilliant scientist at MIT who made a solar cell so small that it can float on a soap bubble. A two-minute meeting between a scientist from UC San Diego and the Pope led to Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment. A San Francisco startup can accurately plan an entire solar project without ever visiting the location. A small-town state representative who was fighting with all of her might to keep local coal plants open became the lawmaker who brought wind power to Massachusetts. The military was one of the first adopters of renewable energy and microgrids. A utility CEO is helping her customers go off-grid. Hydrogen is going to be a great enabler in a carbon-free energy system.
WHAT’S ONE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS SERIES?
The technologies exist, and we have the tools to change the world. It’s time that every one of us demands access to them.