Quote:

Stanford Report, February 26, 2014
Stanford scientist unveils 50-state plan to transform U.S. to renewable energy

Mark Jacobson and his colleagues have created a 50-state roadmap for replacing coal, oil and natural gas with wind, water and solar energy.

By Mark Shwartz
The Solutions Project 50 states map

This interactive graphic shows how each state can move to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. See http://thesolutionsproject.org/infographic/.

Stanford University scientist Mark Jacobson has developed a 50-state roadmap for transforming the United States from dependence on fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. He unveiled the plan at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

"Drastic problems require drastic and immediate solutions," said Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Our new roadmap is designed to provide each state a first step toward a renewable future."

The motivation for the 50-state plan, he said, is to address the negative impacts on climate and human health from widespread use of coal, oil and natural gas. Replacing these fossil fuels with clean technologies would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming and spare the lives of an estimated 59,000 Americans who die from exposure to air pollution annually, he said.

In recent years, Jacobson and his colleagues have developed detailed proposals for converting the energy infrastructures of New York, California and Washington states to 100 percent wind, water and solar power by 2050. The new plan includes an online interactive map tailored to maximize the renewable resource potential of each of the 50 states. Hovering a cursor over California, for example, reveals that the Golden State can meet virtually all of its power demands (transportation, electricity, heating, etc.) in 2050 by switching to a clean technology portfolio that is 55 percent solar, 35 percent wind (on- and offshore), 5 percent geothermal and 4 percent hydroelectric. Nuclear power, ethanol and other biofuels are not included in the proposed energy mix for any of the states.

"The new map provides all of the basic information, such as how many wind turbines and solar panels would be needed to power each state, how much land area would be required, what would be the cost and cost savings, how many jobs would be created, and how much pollution-related mortality and global-warming emissions would be avoided," Jacobson said.

The 50-state plan is posted on the website of The Solutions Project, a nonprofit outreach effort led by Jacobson, actor Mark Ruffalo (co-star of The Avengers), film director Josh Fox and others to raise public awareness about switching to clean energy produced by wind, water and sunlight. To publicize the plan, Ruffalo joined Solutions Project member Leilani Münter, a professional racecar driver, at a Feb. 15 Daytona National Speedway racing event that Munter participated in.

"Global warming, air pollution and energy insecurity are three of the most significant problems facing the world today," said Jacobson, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy.

"Unfortunately, scientific results are often glossed over. The Solutions Project was born with the vision of combining science with business, policy and public outreach through social media and cultural leaders – often artists and entertainers who can get the information out – to study and simultaneously address these global challenges."

Mark Shwartz writes about energy research for the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University.

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XLCaps said:

Wind power needs to go.

Tidal and solar only.
Japs plan on foiling the moon and projecting the energy via
waves and lasers.

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shroomer17 said:

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/february/fifty-states-renewables-022414.html

Quote:

Stanford Report, February 26, 2014
Stanford scientist unveils 50-state plan to transform U.S. to renewable energy

Mark Jacobson and his colleagues have created a 50-state roadmap for replacing coal, oil and natural gas with wind, water and solar energy.

By Mark Shwartz
The Solutions Project 50 states map

This interactive graphic shows how each state can move to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. See http://thesolutionsproject.org/infographic/.

Stanford University scientist Mark Jacobson has developed a 50-state roadmap for transforming the United States from dependence on fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. He unveiled the plan at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

"Drastic problems require drastic and immediate solutions," said Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Our new roadmap is designed to provide each state a first step toward a renewable future."

The motivation for the 50-state plan, he said, is to address the negative impacts on climate and human health from widespread use of coal, oil and natural gas. Replacing these fossil fuels with clean technologies would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming and spare the lives of an estimated 59,000 Americans who die from exposure to air pollution annually, he said.

In recent years, Jacobson and his colleagues have developed detailed proposals for converting the energy infrastructures of New York, California and Washington states to 100 percent wind, water and solar power by 2050. The new plan includes an online interactive map tailored to maximize the renewable resource potential of each of the 50 states. Hovering a cursor over California, for example, reveals that the Golden State can meet virtually all of its power demands (transportation, electricity, heating, etc.) in 2050 by switching to a clean technology portfolio that is 55 percent solar, 35 percent wind (on- and offshore), 5 percent geothermal and 4 percent hydroelectric. Nuclear power, ethanol and other biofuels are not included in the proposed energy mix for any of the states.

"The new map provides all of the basic information, such as how many wind turbines and solar panels would be needed to power each state, how much land area would be required, what would be the cost and cost savings, how many jobs would be created, and how much pollution-related mortality and global-warming emissions would be avoided," Jacobson said.

The 50-state plan is posted on the website of The Solutions Project, a nonprofit outreach effort led by Jacobson, actor Mark Ruffalo (co-star of The Avengers), film director Josh Fox and others to raise public awareness about switching to clean energy produced by wind, water and sunlight. To publicize the plan, Ruffalo joined Solutions Project member Leilani Münter, a professional racecar driver, at a Feb. 15 Daytona National Speedway racing event that Munter participated in.

"Global warming, air pollution and energy insecurity are three of the most significant problems facing the world today," said Jacobson, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy.

"Unfortunately, scientific results are often glossed over. The Solutions Project was born with the vision of combining science with business, policy and public outreach through social media and cultural leaders – often artists and entertainers who can get the information out – to study and simultaneously address these global challenges."

Mark Shwartz writes about energy research for the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University.

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Thoughts?

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Illyabo said:

Solar energy panels covering the face of the moon could power the world with raw energy 24/7 and it would only cost a trillion or so dollars.

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Illyabo said:

Solar energy panels covering the face of the moon could power the world with raw energy 24/7 and it would only cost a trillion or so dollars.

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RiderOnTheStorm said:

This is a pipe dream. Wind destroys the ecosystem by chopping up birds and solar isn't efficient enough to power 55% of the country. His whole idea probably relies on extrapolated projections of advancement that aren't guaranteed or realistic. This is hollywood lobbying and media marketing. I don't see any hard facts backing this up and I viewed both websites as well as the FAQ. The asterisk with "Data from Stanford University" is less than convincing.

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DatIslandLife said:

Well, HERE's to hoping it's not a pipe dream. Many successful endeavors have been labeled pipe dreams in the past 

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Quote:

India's government has signed a deal with six companies to build a 4 gigawatt (GW) solar power plant – by far the world's largest.

This facility – described by officials as an "ultra mega" project – is equivalent to four nuclear reactors and double the nation's entire current solar capacity. It will be 10 times bigger than any plant of its kind in the world. Located west of Jaipur, close to Sambhar Lake, it will be constructed in two phases over seven years, with phase 1 comprising 1000 MW followed by the remaining 3000 MW in a later phase.

In 2010, India launched a "solar mission" initiative, aiming to deliver 20 GW of solar capacity by 2022. This new project will be a significant step towards achieving that goal. The nation has an even more ambitious plan to reach 100 GW by 2030, enough to supply 200 million people.

With its high levels of sunlight, India is well-placed to exploit solar energy. Combined with plummeting installation costs and improving efficiency, solar is becoming a more attractive option with each passing year. It now stands at 7.50 rupees per kilowatt-hour, down from 17 rupees just three years ago. By comparison, natural gas is roughly 5.5 rupees per kWh, nuclear is 3 rupees per kWh and coal is 2.50 rupees per kWh. It won't be long before solar is able to match these cheaper forms of energy, and then things could get really interesting. Solar has the potential to be a highly disruptive technology – especially when combined with smart grids and local storage. Longer term, there is the possibility of using solar within continent-wide supergrids.

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