Mojave Green

All of the Motor-Fuel Alternatives to Conventional Crude Oil Stink

One serious problem with many alternative energy sources is not mentioned - water consumption. Solar thermal and geo thermal (and nuke) all require large amounts of water for cooling. It's possible to have nearly closed cycle systems but without the "free" energy of the heat of evaporation the cost of production is much higher. Close cycle systems are not presently being proposed. Out here in the Mojave Desert there are several efforts to locate huge solar thermal "farms". Of course, the only available water is ground water, but that's already disappearing. Oddly enough, this dirty little aspect is never discussed in news releases.