engineers develop roadma...gy by 2050 | iflscience
DESCRIPTION
Ingeniero diseñanTRANSCRIPT
-
15/6/2015 Engineers Develop Roadmap To Get The US To Run on 100% Renewable Energy By 2050 | IFLScience
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/here-s-roundmap-get-us-run-100-renewable-energy-2050 1/4
ENVIRONMENT
Engineers Develop Roadmap To Get The US ToRun on 100% Renewable Energy By 2050June 10, 2015 | by Aamna Mohdin
photo credit: Theerapol Pongkangsananan via Shutterstock
A new study suggests its entirely possible for the U.S. to run on 100% renewable energy injust 35 years. The radical plan outlines what each state needs to do to achieve thisambitiousgoal. Whats the main barrier to making this happen? Political willpower.
Mark Z. Jacobson, from Stanford University, and his research team outlined the changes ininfrastructure and energy consumption that each state hasto undergo to achieve thistransition to clean energy. Jacobson points out in astatementthat its technologically andeconomically possible to successfully achieve this large scale transformation.Researchers have even created aninteractive mapthatshowcases their plans.
The study, published in the journalEnergy and Environmental Science, first analyzed thecurrent energy demands of each state and then calculated how these demands are likely tochange over the next 35 years. They divided energy use into four sectors: residential,commercial, industrial and transportation. For each sector, researchers analyzed the energyconsumption and looked at the source of this energy, seeing whether it was coal, oil, gas,nuclear or renewables.
Researchers then calculated the demand for fuel if it was all replaced with electricity.Whilerunning literally everything, including cars and home heating, on electricity seems like adaunting task, researchers suggest there would be significant energy savings in using thiselectric grid.
"When we did this across all 50 states, we saw a 39 percent reduction in total end-usepower demand by the year 2050," Jacobson said. "About 6 percentage points of that isgained through efficiency improvements to infrastructure, but the bulk is the result ofreplacing current sources and uses of combustion energy with electricity."
environment
health and medicine
Choose your poison
Editor's Blog
Environment
Technology
Space
Health and Medicine
The Brain
Plants and Animals
Physics
Chemistry
POPULAR POSTS
20-Year-Old To LaunchWorlds First Ocean CleaningSystem In 2016
Spain Has First Case OfDiphtheria In 28 YearsThanks To Anti-Vaxxers
Scientists Find Vessels ThatConnect Immune System
Search by keyword findFollow 161K followers Seguir +10K
75.5K 360
-
15/6/2015 Engineers Develop Roadmap To Get The US To Run on 100% Renewable Energy By 2050 | IFLScience
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/here-s-roundmap-get-us-run-100-renewable-energy-2050 2/4
Jacobson and his team looked carefully at how each state can power this electric grid. For
some states, solar was the clear answer, while wind power or geothermal energy makes
more sense for others. Overall, researchers looked at how wind, solar, geothermal,
hydroelectric, and even small amounts of tidal and wave, could contribute to the
energydemands.
Using this information, researchers laid out a clear plan for each state to make an 80%
transition to renewable energy by 2030, and reach 100% by 2050. The transition is going to
be much more achievable for some states than others. Washington, for example, already
powers up 70% of electricity from existing hydroelectric sources, and both Iowa and South
Dakota generate 30% of their electricity from wind power.
Researchers admit that the initial cost for this transformation would be pretty high, but
suggest thatover timethe overall price would roughly equal the cost to the current fossil
fuel infrastructure.
"When you account for the health and climate costs as well as the rising price of fossil
fuels wind, water and solar are half the cost of conventional systems," Jacobson said. "A
conversion of this scale would also create jobs, stabilize fuel prices, reduce pollution-related
health problems and eliminate emissions from the United States. There is very little
downside to a conversion, at least based on this science."
Read this next:China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Peak Within 10 Years
the brain
health and medicine
And Brain
Why You Should Never Use
Hand Sanitizer
IFLScience
WEEK INSCIENCENewsletter
Your email address Sign up
Get Weekly Science Coverage!
Connect with Us
From The Web byTaboolaSponsoredLinks
The Tao of Badass eBook
Newsmax
GojiPro Supplement Subscription
Rapid Reflux Relief eBook
WmnLife.com
BestPIctureBlog
These Australian Spiders Are TOTALLY INSANETravelTips4Life
15 Beach FAILS You Have To See (PHOTOS)4AllFails
15 INTERESTING Facts About Psoriasis4AllWomensHealth
If This Doesn't Get You Laid Nothing Will
Warren Buffett Indicator Breaches Sell-Alert Status. Do This Today.
No vas a creer su transformacin!
The Silent Killer: Can Acid Reflux Become A Life Threatening Condition?
10 Things Men Find Unattractive
20 Facts You Never Knew About Antarctica
More Stories byTaboolaSponsoredLinks
Newsmax
Warren BuffettIndicatorBreaches Sell-
The Brain Stimulator
This RevolutionaryBrain StimulationMethod Can Sav
4AllWomensHealth
15 INTERESTINGFacts AboutPsoriasis
GojiPro Supplement
Subscription
Pastilla milagrosapromete la prdidade peso rpido!
-
15/6/2015 Engineers Develop Roadmap To Get The US To Run on 100% Renewable Energy By 2050 | IFLScience
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/here-s-roundmap-get-us-run-100-renewable-energy-2050 3/4
get the newsletter Your email address Sign up Follow 161K followers Seguir +10K
byTaboolaPromotedLinks
environment
Weathermen Of Westeros:
Does The Climate In Game
Of Thrones Make Sense?
environment
Could One Million Smart
Pool Pumps Store
Renewable Energy Better
Than Giant Batteries?
environment
No, The World Isn't Going
To End In September 2015
environment
Chinese Families To Sue
Over Lead Poisoning In
Landmark Case
Beliefs About Innate Talent May
Dissuade Students From STEM
Study Finds Genetic Link Between
Creativity And Psychosis
tags Renewable Energy, electric grid, wind power, solar power
MORE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLES
More From The Web More From IFL Science
20 Lesser Known Facts About
Harry Potter (BestPIctureBlog)
Buffett Admits This Is A "Real
Threat" (The Motley Fool)
No vas a creer cmo lo iso!
(GojiPro Supplement Subscription)
Warren Buffett Indicator
Breaches Sell-Alert Stat (Newsmax)
Deformed Pig With Penis Face
Draws Attention in China
What Would Happen To The
Climate If We Stopped Emitting
This Is What A World Map Looks
Like When Scaled According T
Five armored spiders discovered
in Chinese caves
-
15/6/2015 Engineers Develop Roadmap To Get The US To Run on 100% Renewable Energy By 2050 | IFLScience
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/here-s-roundmap-get-us-run-100-renewable-energy-2050 4/4
home
contact
Advertising
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use