CleanTech.Org

Power Hungry: The Myths of "Green" Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future
by Robert Bryce

Bryce bills himself as a purveyor of "industrial strength journalism," and 'Power Hungry' doesn't disappoint. Starting with a clear statement of his own energy policy - "I'm in favor of air conditioning and cold beer." - Bryce provides a muscular, data-driven analysis of our modern industrial civilization and the changing mix of energy sources that power it. This is an eye-opening discussion that does an unusually good job of conveying the scale of our existing energy infrastructure, and the challenge of providing adequate energy supplies for the future, not just for the US and Europe, but for the developing world and the third world as well, under the constraints of economics and decarbonization. Bryce articulate four energy imperatives - power density, energy density, cost, and scale - and uses them as a consistent framework for looking at what he calls the "Myths of Green Energy." His "myths" run the gamut from the idea that wind power can really reduce overall CO2 emissions, to the idea that the US lags other countries in energy efficiency, to the idea that carbon capture and sequestration could work at scale, and intriguingly, even the idea that oil is a dirty fuel compared to the alternatives. While the debunking of green alternatives has flaws, especially in the lack of attention to advanced biofuels, smart grid technologies, and green building materials, it is refreshingly apolitical - focused on facts, practical alternatives, and the requirements of scale. In some ways Bryce ends up with conclusions similar to those of Bill McKibben in his recent book 'Eaarth': we will not be able to turn the tide on atmospheric CO2 quickly enough, the scale is too large, the transition times are too long, the pressure for global development is too great. We will have no choice but to mitigate some problems and adapt to the rest. However, instead of advocating acceptance of a "graceful decline" as McKibben does, Bryce lays out an energetic path forward, a "no regrets" policy he dubs N2N: shifting electrical generation aggressively towards natural gas in the near term, while investing in advanced nuclear technologies for the long run. The strongest element of the book is how he effectively links the future economic health of the US with rising prospects for the rest of the world ... and that will take massive quantities of carbon-free power, not only for economic development, but for mitigating unavoidable climate change impacts as well. 'Power Hungry' is a challenging and valuable read for everyone interested in green energy and an effective response to the climate crisis.

At the request of a top municipality, Cleantech Approach (CTA) has published its first research report on energy efficient lighting. The report was requested to assess the economics of retrofitting facilities and infrastructure in order to reduce their energy consumption, and to guide policies and economic incentives to hasten the adoption of more energy efficient products by landlords, developers and citizens.

The report was conducted on a non-exclusive basis and has been well received by municipalities; real estate developers and owners; institutions (i.e., universities); lighting designers, manufacturers, reps and distributors; and investors who are utilizing it in their sustainability efforts. We will also be sharing the report with utilities who are interested in energy efficient products for their customers and incentive programs. The report can be downloaded on our site at http://bit.ly/qvIG2.

In the next few months, we will be working on two additional reports on "smart grid/electricity monitoring and control solutions" and another on "distributed generation in urban environments." We are currently looking to connect with municipalities, global development organizations, investors and companies who have an active interest in these sectors. Please feel free to share the link to our report and let us know if there is anyone that we should be connecting with in these sectors.

Romahlo Wilson
Founder
Cleantech Approach
romahlo@cleantechapproach.com