I’ve been researching a lot into our various forms of energy – nuclear, hydro, coal, natural gas, and renewables of course. And the smart grid is abuzzbuzz.
Via Center for American Progress (think tank/advocacy for liberal strategies such as universal healthcare and energy innovation), as well as Scientific American:
Despite the Obama administration’s pledge of $11 billion to modernize the nation’s electric grid, the implementation of so-called “smart-grid” technology that would enable energy efficiency while bringing renewable energy sources online faces a number of hurdles, including an out-dated infrastructure beset by congestion and bottlenecks that constrain the expanded use of sources such as wind, solar and geothermal power.
So in short we can create renewable energy but we don’t have the technology of actually supplying people with this clean energy! Aaannnd it’ll be awhile before we can in most of the continent. I’ve also been looking at a benchmark report called “Renewable is Doable“, a pro-renewable (and more anti-nuclear than anti-fossil fuels) report on how Ontario can secure its energy future through conservation, hydro, wind/solar, with a small supplement of gas and coal. It’s funded by the Pembina Institute, WWF, David Suzuki Foundation, and Greenpeace.
Friend and future Prime Minister Darcy Higgins and I have been emailing back and forth and he sent me this document. I’m more pro-nuclear than him so we’ve been having some good discussions. I will undoubtedly post a big opinion on energy that no one will read, but at least I’ll feel good. Besides, the growth self-importance is the most obvious component of blogging to begin with.
And even more of course, with anything that goes on in the world Google has looked into it and is destroying all competition. First web search and email, then our entire earth and outer space, now hi-res energy monitoring! A big component to the very multi-tined smart grid is the two way communication of energy provider and energy consumer to supply the right amount of energy, thereby reducing excess energy waste.
