florida's energy future
Currently, a debate is raging in Florida and across the nation about just how we are going to power our future while we address growing concerns about climate change. The electric utility industry would have you believe that nuclear energy is the answer to lowering carbon emissions and reducing global warming. That we need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars of ratepayer's money building dangerous, large scale power production facilities, running massive transmission and distribution lines across ever shrinkng wilderness landscapes, and continuing to expand our existing centralized energy infrastructure. This is the same top down approach that we have been following for over a 100 years and if you are buying electricity in Florida, there's a good chance you are helping to finance it right now through a scheme called early cost recovery.
But I'm here to tell you, and show you for that matter, that there is a better way. An approach to the problem from the bottom up, instead of the top down. A solution that provides more energy security, is cleaner for the environment, and stimulates the economy far more than the business as usual, "we'll take care of it for you", methodology that the utility industry wants to sell you.
Implementing aggressive efficiency and conservation programs, along with solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies is the lowest cost, most environmentally friendly, and safest way to meet the energy needs of Florida and the Sunbelt. Unfortunately, there is little to no incentive for an Investor Owned Utility, industry to seriously encourage ratepayers to use less electricity, let alone provide them with the technology to produce it for themselves. So consumers will have to lead the charge to get this done and I hope the Arc can help provide inspiration to begin a micro-grid revolution that will change our energy landscape forever.
Solar energy is an abundant but diffuse natural resource that unfortunately does not lend itself well to large scale energy production and redistribution with the technology we have right now. For this reason, it is currently a poor choice when you're trying to apply it in a centralized, top down alternative energy solution. This is a fact that traditional energy producers are constantly trumpeting. But what they’re not telling you is that, on a small scale, at the point source of use, solar is extremely efficient and has recently become very cost competitive in providing the low grade thermal and high grade electric energy that we consume in our daily lives.
It is completely feasible that we could quickly develop a totally sustainable, decentralized energy infrastructure where almost all the energy we consume is produced right on our own rooftops. Many recent advancements in LED lighting, smart grid technology, photovoltaic and storage battery manufacturing, as well as good old fashion solar water heating have the potential to eliminate the need for new and expensive power plants and distribution network expansions. We could easily be shutting down power plants in the near future, rather than building new ones. This approach to the problem would also create a lot more jobs and stimulate the economy much better as consumers have more resources from their energy cost savings to spend locally!
Unfortunately, the playing field is not level for decentralized renewable energy development. For example, why is it that if you want to put a solar water heater on your home in Florida your finance options are typically in the 18% range with a 5 year term? But if you want to build a nuclear power station, you can use the collective buying power of 5 million ratepayers and get a 2% federally guaranteed loan for 30 years? This is the sort of thing that needs to change!
The cost of renewable energy has recently plummeted to an all time low. I don't think the average consumer realizes just what a good deal some of this technology is. You can build your own personal power plant, capable of delivering almost all the energy you'll need for the next 20 years for about the cost of a mid-sized car! You'll be paying a lot more than that to your electric company in coming years if they keep having their way!
But I'm here to tell you, and show you for that matter, that there is a better way. An approach to the problem from the bottom up, instead of the top down. A solution that provides more energy security, is cleaner for the environment, and stimulates the economy far more than the business as usual, "we'll take care of it for you", methodology that the utility industry wants to sell you.
Implementing aggressive efficiency and conservation programs, along with solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies is the lowest cost, most environmentally friendly, and safest way to meet the energy needs of Florida and the Sunbelt. Unfortunately, there is little to no incentive for an Investor Owned Utility, industry to seriously encourage ratepayers to use less electricity, let alone provide them with the technology to produce it for themselves. So consumers will have to lead the charge to get this done and I hope the Arc can help provide inspiration to begin a micro-grid revolution that will change our energy landscape forever.
Solar energy is an abundant but diffuse natural resource that unfortunately does not lend itself well to large scale energy production and redistribution with the technology we have right now. For this reason, it is currently a poor choice when you're trying to apply it in a centralized, top down alternative energy solution. This is a fact that traditional energy producers are constantly trumpeting. But what they’re not telling you is that, on a small scale, at the point source of use, solar is extremely efficient and has recently become very cost competitive in providing the low grade thermal and high grade electric energy that we consume in our daily lives.
It is completely feasible that we could quickly develop a totally sustainable, decentralized energy infrastructure where almost all the energy we consume is produced right on our own rooftops. Many recent advancements in LED lighting, smart grid technology, photovoltaic and storage battery manufacturing, as well as good old fashion solar water heating have the potential to eliminate the need for new and expensive power plants and distribution network expansions. We could easily be shutting down power plants in the near future, rather than building new ones. This approach to the problem would also create a lot more jobs and stimulate the economy much better as consumers have more resources from their energy cost savings to spend locally!
Unfortunately, the playing field is not level for decentralized renewable energy development. For example, why is it that if you want to put a solar water heater on your home in Florida your finance options are typically in the 18% range with a 5 year term? But if you want to build a nuclear power station, you can use the collective buying power of 5 million ratepayers and get a 2% federally guaranteed loan for 30 years? This is the sort of thing that needs to change!
The cost of renewable energy has recently plummeted to an all time low. I don't think the average consumer realizes just what a good deal some of this technology is. You can build your own personal power plant, capable of delivering almost all the energy you'll need for the next 20 years for about the cost of a mid-sized car! You'll be paying a lot more than that to your electric company in coming years if they keep having their way!