To combat global warming and climate change the auto industry is moving toward Electric Vehicles. EVs emit no pollutants from the vehicles, but of course, they have to be charged with electricity that comes from power plants. As I understand it, that reduces CO2 emissions by about two thirds. This is very welcome.
The fly in the ointment is there is not enough power generation available in the nationwide grid today to charge all the EVs that are coming down the road. It is not just Tesla, but Ford, Nissan, Volvo etc. are making big commitments to produce EVs.
The main reason I don't have an EV is what seems to me to be the unreliability and accessibility of charging stations for longer trips. A problem being worked on, I am sure.
The hope is that green sources of energy will skyrocket, and I hope that as well. But at this time the vast majority of power is generated by natural gas, coal, and nuclear, with only about 11% generated from wind, solar, and geothermal as of 2020 per the EPA.
I think the transition is not going to be smooth. However, I am sure that the smartest kids at MIT, Stanford, England, India and around the world are dreaming of coming up with green energy breakthroughs rather than more efficient fossil fuels fuel plants.
Energy storage? I believe China is developing rechargeable Sodium batteries rather than the environmentally damaging Lithium batteries.
Nuclear power? My dream has been modular nuclear fusion plants scattered around the country where the power is needed locally. The big tokamak research plants look like they are too expensive and will take too long to build. I believe other forms of plasma generation are being explored and I have hopes for these.
Geothermal power? Currently, I believe most of the available geothermal sites are already generating power in the U.S., New Zealand, and around the world. However, I have read that there is a "cold geothermal" power being developed by deep drilling to hot rock far below the current hot geo near the surface. It boils CO2 not H2O. If that proves out, geothermal power plants can be built anywhere, near the need for power and not just where steam comes out of the ground already.
Plus, what unimaginable to me today power sources are being explored and yet to be imagined?
The political power of the fossil fuel industry is enormous, of course, and they will do all they can to keep their grip on power generation. But even at the heart of the fossil fuel industry in America, Texas, the power demands of this latest month long triple digit heat dome, which overwhelmed the grid, was rescued by wind and solar power generation to keep the lights, and air conditioners on.
New power is coming. Old power will still be needed. All hands on deck. Global Warming and Climate Change are real and disastrous to human and all life on our beautiful planet.
As a parenthetical thought, I have long wanted Hydrogen powered transportation and power generation. Maybe that is a parallel path?
Faster please.
