Future electricity may be generated and transported to supply fuel for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, and our other electrical needs. Most vehicle power and electricity production in the United States comes from burning fossil fuels.
If all of the costs of burning fossil fuels are taken into consideration, the real cost of our addiction is much greater than the price we currently pay. These additional costs include increased asthma, lung cancer and other health issues created by pollution; environmental degradation from drilling, mining, oil spills, transportation lines and climate change and an expanded defense budget to secure our fossil fuel addiction in a market that can be easily manipulated.
There is increasing recognition that fossil fuels are finite and climate change is a reality. This has led to increased interest in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.
One of the key issues is whether our renewable resources are going to first be developed on a large, utility-scale by those interests that currently control our electrical supply or whether businesses and homeowners will have the opportunity to be paid for local generation.
New, utility-scale renewable energy centers will require long transmission lines, like the proposed 150-mile, $1.5 billion Sunrise Power Link (www.sdge.com/sunrisepowerlink), to transport the energy from where it is generated to where it is used. Locally produced renewable energy (distributed generation) does not require the expense of new transmission lines, is more reliable since it comes from many sources closer to the point of use and provides business opportunities and jobs for the local community (www.sdsmartenergy.org).
The reason Germany, which receives half the sunshine of California, is the largest installer of solar electric in the world is because of its feed-in tariff, which requires utilities to buy surplus electricity generated by local businesses and homeowners. This results in numerous distributed generation sites that sell their electricity into the local grid.
California Senate Bill 1714 is a feed-in tariff that would require utilities to buy surplus renewable energy electricity from distributed generation sources. In November, the San Diego Board of Supervisors announced a unanimous decision to back the concept of a feed-in tariff.
Imagine installing solar electric panels and refueling your plug-in hybrid or all electric vehicle at your home or office. Imagine having another source of income that reduces climate change and our country's addiction to fossil fuels.
Imagine talking with your elected representatives to share your thoughts. It is good to imagine, but it is better to do something about it.
For more information, contact Don Christiansen at (760) 434-0065 or [email protected].
If all of the costs of burning fossil fuels are taken into consideration, the real cost of our addiction is much greater than the price we currently pay. These additional costs include increased asthma, lung cancer and other health issues created by pollution; environmental degradation from drilling, mining, oil spills, transportation lines and climate change and an expanded defense budget to secure our fossil fuel addiction in a market that can be easily manipulated.
There is increasing recognition that fossil fuels are finite and climate change is a reality. This has led to increased interest in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.
One of the key issues is whether our renewable resources are going to first be developed on a large, utility-scale by those interests that currently control our electrical supply or whether businesses and homeowners will have the opportunity to be paid for local generation.
New, utility-scale renewable energy centers will require long transmission lines, like the proposed 150-mile, $1.5 billion Sunrise Power Link (www.sdge.com/sunrisepowerlink), to transport the energy from where it is generated to where it is used. Locally produced renewable energy (distributed generation) does not require the expense of new transmission lines, is more reliable since it comes from many sources closer to the point of use and provides business opportunities and jobs for the local community (www.sdsmartenergy.org).
The reason Germany, which receives half the sunshine of California, is the largest installer of solar electric in the world is because of its feed-in tariff, which requires utilities to buy surplus electricity generated by local businesses and homeowners. This results in numerous distributed generation sites that sell their electricity into the local grid.
California Senate Bill 1714 is a feed-in tariff that would require utilities to buy surplus renewable energy electricity from distributed generation sources. In November, the San Diego Board of Supervisors announced a unanimous decision to back the concept of a feed-in tariff.
Imagine installing solar electric panels and refueling your plug-in hybrid or all electric vehicle at your home or office. Imagine having another source of income that reduces climate change and our country's addiction to fossil fuels.
Imagine talking with your elected representatives to share your thoughts. It is good to imagine, but it is better to do something about it.
For more information, contact Don Christiansen at (760) 434-0065 or [email protected].