Change in Alt.E is now coming at light speed.

[Jim C.]

I study on average two hours a day on what is coming down the pike with reguard to Alt.e and renewable energy. As the advances come on line almost daily it makes me wonder if we should all pause and take a deep breath. The debate about smart grid has been somewhat central to a lot of this. I know full well that feet dragging is not the way to get things done but what if the investment in time and capital are not necessary. Lets just pause a moment and look at all of the facts and available options. It is a little like playing the what if game, but, what if the technology has advanced to a point where a new fuel cell design can deliver cost effective, more efficient and less carbon intensive energy, than say coal, would it really be practical to go forward at full speed ahead to design a smart grid. That said, would centeralized power production make sense any more, or would it be better to move into distributed power. It is always better to not have all of your eggs in the same basket if you can avoid it. Smart meters, conservation, High efficiency HVAC and appliances and energy management, YES. Energy conservation and fuel management systems, YES. Investing in a gazillion dollar a new grid, mayby not. The new stuff coming on line with solar and wind are coming at light speed, in reguard to panels, turbins,inverters and controllers. A two year old system is bordering on antique, somewhat like the computer in the hayday of the IT boom. That is, I think, going to be the norm from now on untill the best of the best win out in the market. Geothermal, YES. Great base load energy production along with Hydro. Batteries and energy storage, I would certainly want to invest in that. Nuks, Not. Expensive, risky, not renewable, uninsurable, waist issues, water intensive, short shelf life, security issues, and on and on and on! The one thing about neuclear that says it all is that you can take a billion dollar asset and within two hours turn it into a trillion dollar liability. Ask those fellows at Three Mile Island and a few people in Russia! Tidal and free flow hydro, I would look at it real hard. Bio, Yep, I would rather throw my money at that than a nuke. Fly wheel, shucks I don't have a clue, but where we are headed, never leave a tern unstoned. LOL Hydronic solar heat, YES, best bang for the buck. The plausible possibilities for energy are infinate in Alt.e so we will leave the page open to the next inovators and facilitators to finish this book, or at least this chapter.

May the sun be with you,

Jim C.