I have always been of the opinion that of all the energy alternatives in our future (http://www.aberantnews.org/?p=172), the most viable and applicable was electric.  From personal transportation to energy independent homes and nationwide commerce, a rapid (relatively) move to an all-electric solution would be the most beneficial alternative of any possibility.

Forget hydrogen, bio fuels and those hybrid solutions that require a massive system of creation/refining, transport, storage and distribution – the electric revolution can be fueled by the sun and rechargeable, removable, replaceable batteries.

The drawbacks, however, with today’s technology are twofold: Electricity generation and battery technology.  Several major hurdles remain:

1. Recharging from utility power grids would require an electricity delivery grid two times the size and three times more efficient that those of today. In an era where local heat waves cause frequent power blackouts and brownouts, you can imagine the impact of 300 million car chargers.
2. Augmentation of our power grid with solar energy, nuclear energy and a host of ‘green energy’ technologies are not only extremely costly but will take decades, if not centuries, to satisfy demand on such a scale.
3. Solar cell technology has a very poor history of efficiency and modern mobile generators require combustible fuels to be effective. So the on-board vehicle power generation alternative is still a ‘work in progress’.
4. Battery life and toxic disposal issues will keep long range applications and recycling costs out of the reach of the average person.  Without a way to keep large powerful batteries at or near peek charge constantly, electric over the road commerce and totally energy independent homes will be difficult to realize.

Two technologies will lead us to total electric residence and transport: Photoelectric solar cell technology; and battery storage technology.  If solar cells can keep batteries at peak charge during daylight hours – rain or shine; and if bio-degradable, recyclable batteries can hold a charge capable of providing peak efficiency for 12 hours… We have the answer to 95% of the technical issues.

Another huge factor has nothing to do with technical hurdles; it has to do with purely economic issues.  The economic impact of the energy status quo is formidable; especially where vehicles are concerned. Millions of jobs, billions of dollars in revenue, taxes and economic benefits are generated from today’s fossil fuel driven energy system. From oil companies, refineries and international oil commerce – to the local gas station and the nation-wide transport and pipeline infrastructure – today’s vehicular energy delivery and consumption network generates or influences nearly 20% of our GNP.  And the products and services it provides impacts 100% of the business that drive our economy.

Needless to say the politics of energy may be a much more formidable deterrent to rapid electric solutions discovery than technology.  But there is the knowledge that fossil fuels, by their very definition, will not last forever.  So the future is clear.  It is inevitable.  Within our lifetime refined fossil fuels will become simply too rare and too expensive to burn in your car – or anywhere else for that matter.

Just as necessity and abundance brought the rise of the oil industry in the 18^th century, scarcity and necessity will be its demise in the 21st – if we don’t stop burning oil.  And oil companies know it.

What many people do not know is that today’s modern crude oil refineries produce nearly 100 different products from petroleum.  Only a handful of these products produce energy.  Many of the needs of the petrochemical and lubricant industries will not be met by alternative fuels.  Saving the world’s supply of petroleum for future generations is almost as important as eliminating our dependence on oil for personal energy needs.

And let’s be realistic.  We will probably NOT see a battery in our lifetime that will power a modern Boeing 757 airliner, move a train cross country or propel a rocket… so the need for combustible fuel research and creating an upscale electric grid will remain.  So when I say we need to build an all-electric solution to our energy needs, I am speaking of personal vehicles, over-the-road commerce and private residences.  Solar cell and battery technology are cornerstones of this transformation.

Here at the crossroads of energy policy in the U.S. we must fund research into localized power generation and battery technology. That means solar cells and batteries.  Let’s all call on our congressional representatives and senators to ‘push the envelope’ on research and development in these two technologies and do it NOW.

JB

More to Read:

http://gas2.org/2009/09/11/algae-based-non-metallic-batteries-could-revolutionize-energy-storage-industry/

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=solar+cell+advances&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&oi=scholart

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