Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Analysis: Costs of Clean vs. Conventional Energy

From Renewable Energy Access...

By Scott Sklar—Let us take a hypothetical 300 MW combined renewable energy plant composed equally of geothermal or microhydro/tidal, photovoltaics or concentrated solar power, and wind—all with 20-year warranted output—able to produce electricity 24 hours, 7 days per week.

Now I probably can provide a combined cost including operations and maintenance over these 20 years. But now comes the challenge. Can I find a conventional technology which can provide energy, without any fuel escalation, with zero emissions, and no waste to compete against this plant?

Sklar heads the steering committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition.
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