DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL FOR ENERGY ISSUE

Future electric power must come from Blue Watts,
A mixture of fossil, nuclear and renewable sources

By Don Hurd
CEO, E3 Consulting LLC
           
Twenty-five years ago, our energy crisis began. We found ourselves on the threshold of a new doorway, through which we have now passed, that has led us to an era in which there are no more cheap and easy energy solutions. And now, we must learn how to deploy several innovative technological solutions to keep up with surging demand. New sources, new technology, new laws – it’s  a much more complex equation than it was 25 years ago. That’s why we need Blue Watts.
Although 18 states in addition to Colorado have mandated that a percentage of their overall electric power generation be derived from renewable sources in years to come, it’s pretty much generally understood that green energy will never have the capacity to generate a significant portion of the vast amounts of electricity we consume daily. We, as a nation, have an absolutely voracious appetite for the stuff, and we are only getting hungrier.
           
Most estimates predict green sources will generate only about three percent of all electricity produced in the U.S. by the year 2020, and demand for electric power is predicted to grow by 30 percent by then.
           
Consider these facts:

  • Over 100 new coal-fired power plants are in planning or development across the U.S. The New York Times recently reported that energy companies in the U.S. have announced plans in the past 12 months to build more coal-fired plants than they’ve announced in the last 12 years.
  • Although it is in widespread use as an energy source for power generation, clean burning natural gas is expensive and should never have been put to that task. It is much better suited for residential consumption and industrial feed-stocks.
  • The hydrogen economy is still very far away. In order of priority, there are several other areas far more important and promising on which to spend time and money.
  • There are just over 100 operating nuclear plants in the U.S. today; since the year 2000, 30 more nuclear plants have been licensed and 16 new licenses are now pending. A resurgence of reliance on nuclear power for electric generation is inevitable.
  • Also since 2000, nuclear capacity has increased significantly (and quietly) through plant upgrades; 90 percent of existing nuclear plants are expected to be relicensed.
  • The nuclear power industry is playing what we call “the CO2 game,” reassuring the public that nuclear reaction is the only source of heat for electric power generation that doesn’t give off the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. (They forget to mention generation of nuclear waste, however.  A problem with a solution?  Perhaps).
  • Wind is gaining favor, but even some zealous environmentalists don’t like the look of those huge propeller blades in pristine environments where wind is plentiful (especially off tony Cape Cod). And, it’s a challenge to transport wind-generated electricity to population centers, often many miles away from the wind farms themselves.
  • Power from sources such as the sun, wind and fuel cells has grown from a $9.5 billion global industry in 2002 to $12.9 billion in 2003, according the research consultancy Clean Edge, as reported in BusinessWeek magazine. The firm expects the renewable power market to reach $92 billion by 2013. (Did you know the earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year?)
  • In fact, there now exist a dozen or more different types of renewable energy sources that have merit and could be deployed within one to five years, most of which you’ve probably never heard of, such as:
    • Anaerobic digester gas
    • Biomass co-firing
    • Crystalline silicon PV
    • Dish Stirling
    • Parabolic trough
    • Offshore wind
    • Tidal
    • Landfill gas
    • Thin film PV
    • Power Tower
    • Wave power
    • Nano solar cells
    • Low impact hydro
    • Organic Rankine

As their technology and markets mature, all of them hold some promise.

In short, nature has provided mankind with a very generous array of usable fossil, nuclear and renewable sources of energy for electric power generation. It is our contention at E3 Consulting that the wisest course of action for the inhabitants of Planet Earth would be to embrace development of an electric power grid that relies on the use of all of them. That won’t mean focusing totally on green power, nuclear power, fossil fuels or renewables, but on a mixture of the whole lot we are calling Blue Watts – a different shade of green.

To that end, governments must pass appropriate legislation to create the right mix of generation resources and expedite the deployment of renewable solutions to spur investment and keep consumer costs low. At the same time, we must promote development of a new generation of ultra-clean-burning coal-fired plants of the future that scientists say will have nearly zero emissions.
We now estimate the known reserves of coal and natural gas in the world will last about another two centuries, and known crude oil reserves are already running low. So, it’s obvious that embracing a Blue Watts future that spreads around the demand for electric power over this wonderfully rich family of generation sources will provide a longer life for our finite fossil fuel reserves. And, Blue Watts will certainly result in cleaner air, land and water for us and for our children’s children.
 
(E3 Consulting (http://www.e3co.com/), with offices in Denver and Houston, is an experienced team of experts with backgrounds in engineering, the environment, science and finance. E3’s consultants provide objective oversight, critical analysis and solutions for businesses building, optimizing or restructuring energy projects.)