The bright future of alternative energy

Alternative energy use across the planet is still considered a relatively new resource, yet holds a large amount of potential for use in the near future. 

Countries across the world are doing their part in solving the energy crisis through the use of alternatives and new policies pop up each day. However, there are mixed feelings about the future of alternative energy as a whole and its current state.

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As of 2010, alternative energy sources make up about 9 percent of the United States’ total energy use according to the U.S department of energy. This number has remained fairly consistent over the past decade raising a little less than 2 percent in ten years. There is a large amount of wasted potential of use of these sources; the current hydroelectric power use in America is exploiting only 33 percent of the total available energy that American waters can supply. 

The term alternative energy is a broad, vague, title given to all sources of heat and power that are considered renewable. This covers sources such as hydroelectric power, solar, wind, geothermal, and many other smaller used sources that usually cost much less than non-renewable resources and are easier to maintain. 

“The goal of alternative energy use in America is to steer this country away from limited sources of power, such as coal and natural gas,” said UMass geosciences Professor Jon Woodruff, “We need to realize that these sources [Coal and other non-renewables] are not going to exist forever, we will run out.” According to the American Coal Foundation, the United States has about “a 300-year supply of coal, if it continues to use it at the same rate as today.” This number may not seem so shocking; in fact, it may come as a sign of hope for some people. The problem with coal and other non-renewable resources lies in the rate of use. Since 1970 the amount of coal production and mining has increased by 70 percent. If this rate increases then the number of years that American coal has left is numbered.

Aside from the limited amount of resources we have left, the dangers associated with non-renewable resources are of growing concern across the world. “With the latest Tsunami in Japan and the disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant the time for a change is now” said Professor Woodruff. The worst result of a nuclear accident or disaster is something called China Syndrome, according to Professor Woodruff.

Although there is yet to be a use of the term to describe a meltdown it is still possible. China Syndrome is the stage in a meltdown when the components of the core burn through the actual building, according to Professor Woodruff. This burning through leads to uncontrolled nuclear reactions, which have catastrophic effects. The worst-case scenario is similar to the Chernobyl incident and now Fukushima, the release of radioactive material into the surrounding area following a China Syndrome Event.

Luckily this has not happened in the Fukushima plant, however, countries are now becoming more aware of the safety issues related to non-renewable sources and are starting to look into more investment into alternative energy. Nations in Europe and parts of Asia are pioneers in the use of alternative fuels. Sweden is one of the largest users of alternative fuels with almost 44 percent of their total power comes from renewable sources according to a 2008 report from Eurostat. The entire European Union gets 18 percent of their total power from renewable sources, published in the same report.

A large reason for this increase in renewable energy use in Europe is due to government investment. According to a small online survey, some people believe that government investment is not an issue concerning alternative fuels. Others are more concerned with the costs to them in terms of start up costs. Since 1997 the EU renewable energy policy has been critical to the success across Europe. The policy has produced a roadmap scheduled to end in 2022 that will ensure that 20 percent of all people living in the EU get their power solely from alternative renewable sources. Each country has been given a percent goal to meet by the end of 2022. That goal is a percentage of share of power and energy from renewable sources that must be used. Each country’s percentage is determined by their current GDP and is changed every few years. “I feel that if the American Government did more about alternative fuels, invest more interest in developing a plan similar to the EU then we would be in a much better place,” said Professor Woodruff. The EU’s plan has already proved effective with coal and natural gas use across the EU has dropped by 10 percent in just two years according to the Eurostat report. The policy sees the future turning into one dominated by wind and water. The largest projected increases in renewable power come from wind and hydroelectric plants and biomass use coming in a close third all of which are tripling in growth by the end of the 2020 road map.

With numbers like these the future of alternative energy seems like a growing trend. Each day new policies are being passed to benefit those who want to be green. According to the small survey, over half the responders noted that it was important for them to make a change in the amount of non-renewable energy they use. Almost all of the responses noted some form of energy saving in terms of light bulbs or simply conserving power. The United States energy policy is moving in a very different direction than these responders and the EU. The latest major act was the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that covers practically all “green” movements spreading around America. The act calls for such things as a 25 percent increase in light bulb efficiency by 2014, and new initiatives for promoting conservation and general electricity efficiency.

These changes may not seem nearly as drastic as the EU’s policy yet they are only starting points. The real initiative that can make a serious impact on American society is the smart grid. A policy that focuses heavily on modernizing American energy use and promoting conservation and using technology to lower energy use, rather than seek alternative fuels.

 With the increasing consumption rates of non-renewable resources, the dangers of possible nuclear meltdowns, and the still cautious public in regards to alternative energy use, the future of renewable resource use is unknown. However, with increased efforts from around the earth, the future of alternative energy looks bright.