SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Report: Renewables Could Power Nearly All US Energy Usage by 2050
Research counters 'myth' that country cannot rely on wind, solar and other renewable sources
Apr 23, 2013
If the US ceases to burn coal and ratchets down both nuclear and natural gas usage, the resulting reliance on wind, solar and other renewables "could meet or exceed demand in 99.4 percent of hours" by 2050, according to a recent report (pdf) by Synapse Energy Economics for the nonprofit think tank Civil Society Institute (CSI).
"Put simply, the message is this: It is a myth to say the United States cannot rely on renewables for the bulk of electricity generation,'' said report co-author Thomas Vitolo.
Undertaken to counter questions raised about the impact of large-scale wind and solar integration on electric system reliability, the research also found regional loads being met "without imports from other regions and without turning to reserve storage," and surplus power for export in 8.6 percent of all hours, "providing an ample safety net where needed from one region of the U.S. to the next."
The report assumes a "transition scenario" (based on a 2011 report also by Synapse) in which the US eliminates coal usage and reduces dependency on natural gas and nuclear power, moving instead toward a power system based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Based on these "projected mixes" of existing technology and operational practices, the grid is capable of balancing projected load "for each region, in nearly every hour of every season of the year" demonstrating--the report asserts-- that the "strategies to address one of the most pressing challenges faced by our species and our planet are already not only achievable, but cost effective.''
"This study shows that the U.S. electricity grid could integrate and balance many times the current level of renewables with no additional reliability issues," said Civil Society senior energy analyst, Grant Smith. "In contrast, the alternative--continuing to rely on increasing combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, and producing ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gases--is far less feasible, and presents much more daunting technical, economic, and social challenges to human and environmental welfare."
Though the research is US-specific, solar industry site Solar Server reports the findings are supported by data from European grid operators, where in 2011 renewables supplied 41% of Denmark's electricity.
_____________________
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
If the US ceases to burn coal and ratchets down both nuclear and natural gas usage, the resulting reliance on wind, solar and other renewables "could meet or exceed demand in 99.4 percent of hours" by 2050, according to a recent report (pdf) by Synapse Energy Economics for the nonprofit think tank Civil Society Institute (CSI).
"Put simply, the message is this: It is a myth to say the United States cannot rely on renewables for the bulk of electricity generation,'' said report co-author Thomas Vitolo.
Undertaken to counter questions raised about the impact of large-scale wind and solar integration on electric system reliability, the research also found regional loads being met "without imports from other regions and without turning to reserve storage," and surplus power for export in 8.6 percent of all hours, "providing an ample safety net where needed from one region of the U.S. to the next."
The report assumes a "transition scenario" (based on a 2011 report also by Synapse) in which the US eliminates coal usage and reduces dependency on natural gas and nuclear power, moving instead toward a power system based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Based on these "projected mixes" of existing technology and operational practices, the grid is capable of balancing projected load "for each region, in nearly every hour of every season of the year" demonstrating--the report asserts-- that the "strategies to address one of the most pressing challenges faced by our species and our planet are already not only achievable, but cost effective.''
"This study shows that the U.S. electricity grid could integrate and balance many times the current level of renewables with no additional reliability issues," said Civil Society senior energy analyst, Grant Smith. "In contrast, the alternative--continuing to rely on increasing combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, and producing ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gases--is far less feasible, and presents much more daunting technical, economic, and social challenges to human and environmental welfare."
Though the research is US-specific, solar industry site Solar Server reports the findings are supported by data from European grid operators, where in 2011 renewables supplied 41% of Denmark's electricity.
_____________________
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
If the US ceases to burn coal and ratchets down both nuclear and natural gas usage, the resulting reliance on wind, solar and other renewables "could meet or exceed demand in 99.4 percent of hours" by 2050, according to a recent report (pdf) by Synapse Energy Economics for the nonprofit think tank Civil Society Institute (CSI).
"Put simply, the message is this: It is a myth to say the United States cannot rely on renewables for the bulk of electricity generation,'' said report co-author Thomas Vitolo.
Undertaken to counter questions raised about the impact of large-scale wind and solar integration on electric system reliability, the research also found regional loads being met "without imports from other regions and without turning to reserve storage," and surplus power for export in 8.6 percent of all hours, "providing an ample safety net where needed from one region of the U.S. to the next."
The report assumes a "transition scenario" (based on a 2011 report also by Synapse) in which the US eliminates coal usage and reduces dependency on natural gas and nuclear power, moving instead toward a power system based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Based on these "projected mixes" of existing technology and operational practices, the grid is capable of balancing projected load "for each region, in nearly every hour of every season of the year" demonstrating--the report asserts-- that the "strategies to address one of the most pressing challenges faced by our species and our planet are already not only achievable, but cost effective.''
"This study shows that the U.S. electricity grid could integrate and balance many times the current level of renewables with no additional reliability issues," said Civil Society senior energy analyst, Grant Smith. "In contrast, the alternative--continuing to rely on increasing combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, and producing ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gases--is far less feasible, and presents much more daunting technical, economic, and social challenges to human and environmental welfare."
Though the research is US-specific, solar industry site Solar Server reports the findings are supported by data from European grid operators, where in 2011 renewables supplied 41% of Denmark's electricity.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.