Where renewable electricity is concerned, how costly is “too costly”?

William F. Pickard

Energy Policy, 2012, vol. 49, issue C, 346-354

Abstract: Present day electricity is a bargain. It frees mankind from a host of dirty, debilitating occupations—epitomized by the now endangered occupation of legger. Correctly applied, electricity would make a most excellent paramount energy carrier for a post-carbon world. It is, however, only an energy carrier and not a source of energy, the preeminent source for its generation being bargain-priced fossil carbon. But when, in less than a century, that is gone, electricity is a good bet to cost markedly more while being still a bargain. This paper once again shows that mankind's energy needs can be met by (i) renewable solar generation of electricity buffered by (ii) massive electricity storage and (iii) a robust distribution grid. The time available for making this switch from fossil carbon to solar is at best a century and possibly as little as fifty years.

Keywords: Dispatchable energy; Massive electricity storage; Renewable energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:49:y:2012:i:c:p:346-354

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.06.036

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