Actually, development of alternative energy has been retarded by the fact that oil has enjoyed such preferential treatment over the years. Currently, as it has been for years, oil receives a huge government security protection of about $100 Billion for military operations that directly protect oil supplies, not to mention all the exploration tax credits and other shenanigans that favor oil. If that $100 Billion were factored into the retail price for oil products, the price of a gallon of gasoline and heating would be about $1.00 more, or $3.30 now, instead of $2.30.
Nuclear (which is also subsidized) is something we need to consider seriously, especially now that safer more efficient pebble bed reactor designs are available. But over the past 30 years a lot of alternative energy has grown more practical and less expensive. Wind power is now cost competitive with coal, oil and nuclear. Solar has also grown far more practical for both utility scale and home use, and will continue to drop in price and become more efficient as new technologies are applied. Two California utilities recently signed large 100s of MegaWatts solar contracts that will include massive solar arrays in the Californian desert. Battery technology is also improving dramatically. Opening up the possibility of hybrid electric cars that are plugged in overnight and run on electricity for the first 120 miles of driving and gasoline thereafter, saving huge amounts of gasoline in the process. This is the first step towards fully electric vehicles.
There are real alternatives in 2006, and they are growing more viable every year. What isn't real is any sort of national consensus or will to implement these alternative energy techniques and kick our oil habit. The rising price of crude and it's products will start forcing this change. |
