ARTICLE TITLE: The Rise of Renewable Energy

AUTHOR/SOURCE: Daniel M. Kammen

MAIN POINTS:
U.S and other countries must make a major commitment to developing renewable energy
sources that generate little or no carbon
Interest and support of renewable energy were not sustained during the oil embargoes of 1970
In recent years, dramatic improvements in performance and affordability of solar cells, wind
turbines and biofuels have paved the way for mass commercialization
Renewable sources promise to enhance America's energy security by reducing reliance on
fossil fuels
U.S and other countries must make a major commitment to developing renewable energy
sources that generate little or no carbon
Solar cells-photovoltaics use semiconductor materials to convert sunlight into electric currents
Carbon emissions will keep climbing despite the introduction of more energy-efficient vehicles,
buildings and appliances.
Solar cells provide world electricity .15% of total generating capacity.
It could potentially supply 5,000 times as much energy as the world currently consumes.
''Million Solar Roof'' create 3,000 MW of new generating capacity in the state by 2018.
U.S could grow to 10,000 MW in 20 years
Challenge will be lowering price of photovoltaics, which are expensive to manufacture
Wind power has been growing at a pace rivaling the solar industry. Wind turbines increased
more than 2.5% a year. 60,000 MW in 2005
In the U.S, wind power industry has accelerated dramatically in the past five years, with total
generating capacity leaping 36% to 9,100 MW in 2005. Potential for expansion is enormous, in
the windy Great Plains states.
Local concerns over how wind turbines will affect landscape views
Researchers also pressing ahead with development of biofuels that can replace portion of the
oil consumed by motor vehicles.
Common biofuel is ethanol, made from corn and gasoline.
Ethanol impact on greenhouse gas emissions are ambiguous.
Substituting corn ethanol for gasoline reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 18%, but it will not
do much to slow global warming unless it becomes cleaner.
o biofuel is called green diesel.
Researchers produced this fuel by gasifying biomass, heating organic materials, converting
compounds into long-chain hydrocarbons
Fischer-Tropsch process
Result would be an economically competitive liquid fuel for motor vehicles that would add
virtually no greenhouse gases.
More than 20 states in the U.S have adopted standards setting a minimum for the fraction of
electricity that must be supplied with renewable sources.
Potential for expansion is enormous, in the windy Great Plains states.
Germany plans to generate 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2020 and Sweden intends
to give up fossil fuels entirely.
Most important step is to institute market-based schemes to make the prices of carbon fuels
reflect social cost.
Use of coal, oil and natural gas imposes a huge collective toll on society.
Fee on carbon emissions would provide a simple, logical and transparent method to reward
renewable clean energy sources over those that harm the economy.
Transformation to renewable energy can turn the nation's energy sector into something that
was once deemed impossible: a vibrant, environmentally sustainable engine of growth.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE:
Daniel Kammen explains how more than 20 states in the U.S. have adopted standards on setting a
minimum for electricity that has to be supplied with renewable sources. The amount of renewable
sources is becoming more common in many other places other than the U.S. The most known
renewable sources are solar, biofuel, and wind. Semiconductor materials to convert sunlight into electric
currents are used for solar energy. Solar power can create 10,000 MW of power in 20 years in the
United States. The amount of fossil fuels needs to decrease in order to have more renewable sources.
MY THOUGHTS:
This article made me realize how renewable sources are becoming such a big impact in the U.S.
These renewable sources are useful in many ways like helping us create a sustainable energy supply that
doesn't pollute the environment. The most popular source is solar, and I think its important because
with solar energy were not harming the environment, which means were not emitting any greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere. As long as more and more renewable sources are becoming known, then
maybe our environment will become healthier in a way.

So what?
Renewable sources are becoming more and more
known in the U.S. but not only in the U.S. all over
the world.
Says who?
Daniel W. Kammen
What if?
Renewable sources were never discovered? How
bad would things be?
What does this remind you of?
This reminded me of the many videos we watched
in class about energy