Interstate Renewable Electricity System
Renewable electricity must be the foundation for any sustainable economic system. Nonrenewable energy, by definition, can be depleted, that is, used up, gone forever (or at least for millions of years). Thus, by definition, a society based on nonrenewable energy is not indefinitely sustainable. In addition, fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing catastrophic climate change. Wood, which has been a nonrenewable staple for thousands of years, destroys forests, which are perhaps our most precious natural resource, after soil. Wood can be collected in a sustainable manner, but then can only be used sparingly. Catastrophic nuclear power accidents might be even worse than catastrophic climate change.
A national plan to build an economy based on renewable electricity would be composed of several components. There would be a national, interstate component, probably based mostly on wind, interconnected with a rebuilt national grid system. Solar plants and geothermal plants could be added to such a national grid, although only an a wind farm network is explored here. At the other end of the spectrum, at the level of individual buildings, we could plan for solar, geothermal, and efficiency construction that would provide for the bulk of building-level energy use, as explained in the building self-sufficiency section.
It is imperative that the Federal government plan and construct this system in order to optimize a renewable electricity network so that the siting of wind farms and solar farms can guarantee that there is always enough electricity being produced somewhere to fulfill the nation's electrical needs. Mark Jacobson of Stanford University, the leading expert on renewable electricity, has shown that this is possible -- over the entire planet, in fact. You can read other articles on this subject in the reading list below.
Mark Jacobson, in a June 2019 Powerpoint presentation, slide 25 shows how, worldwide, 80% of emissions could be decreased by 2030, and 100% by 2050. Slide 29 explains that the transition for the U.S., according to Jacobson, would cost $9 trillion, which is about the same as our combined wind system, electric grid, and solar/geothermal/storage/retrofitting estimate of $450 billion per year for 20 years.
It is also possible that a North American electrical network, including Mexico and Canada, could offer even more efficiencies, according to the National Renewable Energy Lab.
A renewable electricity system is required for an electric transportation system, based on electric trains, trucks, and cars, with small-scale use of planes and internal combustion-based vehicles.
The following are the subsystems and programs required to implement a Renewable Electricity System:
- Wind Farm Network
- Smart Electric Grid
In addition, in order to create an Interstate Renewable Electricity System, it will be necessary to buy out most of the electric utilities in the country, and to buy out the oil companies.
Reading list:
Debunking three myths about baseload
Baseload is poison and 5 other lessons from Germany's energy transition
Maximum Renewable Integration
Why Not Synthetic Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (SDACCS) as Part of a 100% Wind-Water-Solar (WWS) and Storage Solution to Global Warming, Air Pollution, and Energy Security
General location of National System of Interstate Highways
A modest pumped storage proposal for Democratic candidates