Renewable energy is growing, but ...
This past week I posted the following graphic on my Twitter account () showing the explosive growth of renewable electricity, particularly over the past decade: (see left)
The first response to this graphic was 鈥淏ut鈥NTERMITTENT!鈥�
It is true that wind and solar power are intermittent 鈥斅犅爋n several occasions. Biomass and geothermal power, on the other hand would be considered firm power (i.e, power that can be counted on to be available whenever it is needed).
However, we do not have a single energy source that doesn鈥檛 have a 鈥渂ut鈥� associated with it. Every one of them.聽Even renewable energy sources have 鈥渂uts鈥� associated with them.聽
For example, oil has provided us unprecedented mobility at an affordable price,聽but聽it has also enriched terrorist regimes and polluted the environment.
Of course the size of a but is also in the eye of the beholder, and that鈥檚 why there are such passionate disagreements over energy policy. Someone from the ethanol lobby might claim that their but is tiny, whereas someone from the oil industry might complain that ethanol鈥檚 but is huge. Sometimes court battles are even fought over the size of a but, as happened this week when聽聽that ethanol鈥檚 but could be problematic for consumers.
The key is to balance the buts with the benefits, and to focus on those energy sources with the smallest buts.
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