realist2

Obama Proposes Higher Fuel Standards

Thanks for agreeing that electric vehicles are pretty good, then, especially in my case. Plus mine offers superior off the line torque and acceleration.

I'm absolutely not an expert in US energy, nor in projecting future trends, but some small, light thoughts:

1. Slightly faster current growth rate in solar/wind generation than in current electric vehicle adoption rate means it's very viable (US DOE EIA, EPA), although there's no reason to completely exclude hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and other renewable energy sources or other non-oil energy sources such natural gas or coal in the mix, for that matter. Electric vehicles can use any and or all of those or whatever other energy sources come along in whatever mix personal preference or society or economics or envrionmental limits allow.

2. They'll use the amount determined by the intersection of supply and demand at any time, I suspect. Right now there's more supply than demand, so demand will likely continue to chase increasing supply for some time. Carbon trading and other market mechanisms, such as subscriptions, (now and forthcoming) mean that consumers can sign up for whatever energy source/pricing they want/can get, regardless of the overall mix that's out there now. Supply will then change over time, through free market economics, to match any changes to demand based on that trading.

3. USGS, MMS and FERC reports suggest zero land area required at present due to massive offshore wind opportunities, near where most people in the US live (within 100 miles of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Great (and other) Lakes). Nontheless, additional onland wind farms, constructed by consumer and industry preference and demand, do not "use up" land and are are fully compatible with cattle grazing, crop and marginal non-crop (for biofuel), watershed and ecosystem functions, nature and hunting preserves, recreation areas and a host of other simultaneous economic land uses (and non-uses) in less densely populated areas.

Anyway, check out EPRI, NRCD, US DOE EIA, IEA, AWEA, NABCEP, DOC MMS and FERC, EPA and even EDTA (the latter, considering that they are an advocacy group, are realists in that they acknowledge that US electric generation is currently dominated by domestic coal, natural gas, and renewable hydro electric, in that order) etc. for detailed data and studies, expertise and far better information on general US energy generation and conjectured trends than I can offer.

I will respond to no more general questions outside my area of personal knowledge, but may continue to refute future false general claims.

On May 21 10:22 PM SteadfastMason wrote:

>That is pretty good, then. How viable is solar/wind generation as >the primary energy source for electricity to recharge cars across >the USA? How much land area (for solar) or how many windmills >are required to supply and distribute that amount of electricity?

Obama Proposes Higher Fuel Standards

@ SteadfastMason

Not in my case.

My electric vehicle, my daily driver commuter, is 100% wind powered from a commercial, nearby wind farm, thanks to a subscription plan from my regional power company, at prices less than coal in most states, at both my residence and work place. Ok, I do my V2G with grid tied residential and small commercial solar systems, and I've charged at them a few times too, so maybe 99% wind, 1% solar.

Thus, all my fuel dollars stay in the domestic economy instead of going overseas to fund volatile parts of the world, as yours do when you drive a full gasser.