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Renewable energy comes from free and abundant fuel sources that do not diminish when used, or they have the power to replenish themselves. They have few emissions and emit little pollution, especially compared to fossil fuels.
Types of renewable energy include solar, wind, biomass and biofuels, hydropower, geothermal, methane capture, etc. Some renewables, like biomass, must be used carefully, lest we push their resilience (power to bounce back) beyond the point of sustainability. Renewables have a wide geographic distribution across the U.S. (especially compared to oil, coal, and natural gas). This broad availability makes renewables a good source of income for rural economies.
BENEFITS OF RENEWABLES
Economic development. Future economic development depends on making the transition to a new energy economy less dependent on fossil fuels, with new jobs that can’t be exported. Rural Development. Farmers and ranchers can diversify their operations to produce both calories and kilowatts.
Renewables can create additional income streams for rural communities,
providing jobs, increasing the local tax base, and keeping energy
dollars more local. Fight Climate Change. According to life cycle analysis, renewables have very low environmental impacts. Since they produce very few emissions like greenhouse gas carbon dioxide), they help fight the global warming that leads to climate change. Energy Security. Renewables are local, domestic resources. Developing renewables frees us from dependence on foreign oil, as well as on all high-carbon fossil fuels. Jobs. Renewable energy is more labor-intensive than traditional energy, so it generates more skilled jobs - facilities construction, installation, maintenance, operations, construction of transmission lines, etc. For example, wind power creates 2.77 jobs for every megawatt produced. Hedge against rises in costs of fossil fuels. Renewables are cost-effective – prices for wind and solar are dropping while prices of fossil fuels are spiking. Renewables provide alternatives during economic uncertainty. Greater Energy Independence. Renewables increase fuel diversity (the sources of our fuel). The more diverse your fuel mix is, the less vulnerable you are to price fluctuations, fuel shortages, or shifts in regulatory practices. In the long run, fuel diversity gives you access to more affordable and reliable sources of electricity.
Right now, the Midwest depends on coal power for 75% of its electricity. Experts predict that the price of this high-carbon energy source will soon rise, due to upcoming carbon regulation. Coal has very high carbon liability. Ratepayers will bear these costs. Renewables have little to no carbon liability for consumers. Developing more renewables will help cushion ratepayers against rises in the prices of fossil fuels. For smaller communities, farms, ranches, and households, renewables offer more personal energy independence (for those who want to live off-grid) or those who want to sell energy back to the grid (through net metering).
Scalable. Many renewable installations (like wind and solar) can start small, and grow over time. Communities can build wind plants smaller at first, for example, then expand. This gradual growth also helps stagger the lifespan and replacement costs of equipment.
CHALLENGES FOR RENEWABLES
Transmission and Infrastructure. Renewables are decentralized models of power generation. Right now, our energy infrastructure is very centralized, and transmission lines often don’t exist in rural areas. Before rural communities can capitalize on their renewable resources, they need more energy infrastructure. Given the Midwest’s central location, investing in transmission lines will help us sell power to large urban energy markets to our east and west. Cost. On the average, renewables do cost more per kilowatt hour (kWh). However, that price has dropped sharply over time and will continue to do so. The more the more we develop renewables, the cheaper they will become. The price of wind per kWh is increasingly competitive with coal. Technology Development. Compared to fossil fuels, renewables are mostly young technologies, all in different stages of development. Some are just now proving themselves (like wave power) while others are ready for deeper market penetration (like wind). So far, renewables have attracted only a fraction of the federal subsidies for research and development. Variability. Some renewables – mainly wind and solar – provide only intermittent power for electrical generation. The wind does not blow all the time, and the sun doesn’t shine all the time, and so these sources are not always providing energy. Since the grid needs stable, dispatchable sources of power to maintain base load, it can currently only integrate a certain percentage of these renewable sources – up to 20%, in the case of wind.
Caveats and disclaimers
No magic bullets. Renewables are part of a larger strategy where we reduce our overall energy consumption and pursue greater energy efficiency. They are not a plug-and-play solution. We will still have to use our energy more wisely.
Beware boom and bust. We can develop this new energy economy in a sustainable and responsible manner – taking into account concerns for human health and wildlife, preserving delicate landscapes, and encouraging rural economic development. There is no need to implement these technologies in ways where the benefits go disproportionately to large, out-of-state investors.
Everything has an impact. All energy technologies – even renewables - have environmental impacts. The key is to compare these impacts in terms of the costs over their entire life cycle, and compared to fossil fuels. |
