happycajun

Will the Clean Energy Economy Become the Next Internet?

Next Internet? More likely the next Ostrich farming craze. Seriously, Konrad makes a lot of sense, the internet was all about "ideas" and things that were very capital lite - vast undeveloped markets for things not being done before (selling over the web - people actually sitting at a computer for reasons other than work, etc.) whereas the "energy" market is very mature. Efficiency is indeed the low hanging fruit - just as it was back in the '70's energy crunch. I remember crunching economics an a bunch of capital projects dealing with improved energy efficiency, every thing from adding insulation to hot or cold processes, to improved process control and waste heat recovery additions or enhancements. Alternative energy sources have MASSIVE inertia to overcome - dealing with replacing installed bases that "ain't broke" is always difficult. The "technology" in impact in energy is not the same as it was in the internet boom, short of some cold fusion type breakthrough.