New Generation Sources was the Hot Topic on September 23rd
Wind and solar will carve out a significant share of future generation but fossil fuels will still be utilized for a majority of the generation in the next three decades. This was one of the conclusions shared by five speakers with experience in different aspects of energy supply.
Jeff Anthony, Manager for Utility Programs American Wind Energy Association, provided some impressive statistics on the growth and projected growth of wind energy in the U.S. On the other hand the U.S. is not approaching the 100 percent per year increases in China. Offshore wind is projected to be a modest percentage of the installed MWs but with twice the capacity factor or more than on shore wind, it will be a significant contributor to electricity output.
Anthony Pietrangelo, Senior Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Energy Institute, said that the cost of increasing the life of nuclear power plants is very low and the risks equally so. The nuclear power plants already in operation are producing power more cheaply than coal-fired power plants and are therefore the lowest cost option. There is a large price tag associated with new plants but when amortized over 80 years, it is not that costly.
Nick Figone, Director Solar Energy Marketing Ecology & Environment, Inc., explained that the environmental permitting of a large concentrated solar plant can be $500,000 and there are a number of challenges and risks. So it necessary to take an organized and thorough approach. There are many ways to deal with the potential impacts on wildlife. Setting aside land elsewhere is one route and is cost effective compared to some of the alternatives.
Dr. Gerald Sheble, Executive Advisor and Senior Director, US R&D at Quanta Technology, made a clear case for integrating resources with energy storage. The result can be lower cost and higher reliability.
Dave Wagner, Program Development Manager at Geotechnical & Environmental Services, explained that ground source heat exchange technology takes advantage of the constant temperatures at depths of four feet and greater below ground level. The capital cost will be significant but the savings in electricity will make up for this investment in 10 years or less.
The BIOS, ABSTRACTS AND PHOTOS can be viewed as follows: