While each fuel source has advantages and disadvantages, what we expect from electricity is for
it to be there when we need it, to minimize the impact on the environment, and to be sustainable, as well as affordable, since it's critical to our economic, social, and physical well being. That's a tall order. While industry experts don't necessarily agree on what is most important or how we get there, they do tend to agree that a balanced approach is a way to go.
Let's take a look at how our experts feel about it. So the thing about renewable energy is that you're actually generating the electricity where the resource is. So unlike oil and gas, where you're transporting the fuel or coal to a power plant, you're actually generating the electrons in location. So therefore from a global perspective, each country needs to think about what resources they have and create that mix that's going to work for their country. So say the Southeast, or the southwest part of the US, the Middle East, North Africa has tremendous solar resources. So that's going to be a large
part of their energy mix.
Other places have very high wind resources, so they're going to have a higher part of the wind, geothermal as well. So each country as they begin to develop and diversify their energy mix is going to be choosing the type of energies that work for their particular location. And this really is a global movement. Again, as prices have come down Countries are really beginning to look at these types of technologies to diversify their types of energy generation. It's very important that there is a mix. Obviously, wind doesn't blow all the time and the sun doesn't shine all the time. Sometimes water in hydro projects, if there's a drought, they may not generate as much electricity, so it is very important. I mean, coal will still have a double-digit percentage as far as I can see in terms of baseload generation where it's always there and it's always dependable, but there does need to be a mix.
So, when it comes down to it, you want to make sure that you can support the economic development of your state. You want to provide customers with the energy that they're looking for, but at the most affordable price, while you're still balancing the environmental attributes and the factors associated with it. So it really is the balance between those various factors that determine what type of resource you can build where. So it doesn't make sense necessarily to shut down a fossil-based plant if it still has a long remaining life, just to simply replace it with a renewable resource, unless there's some cost-effectiveness there. What we've really been seeing is prices are coming down on the renewable side. We've been able to transition over as we've been meeting the needs of our customers, or plants have been retiring or other PPAs have been coming offline. So it's really about finding that balance and making sure you can do it in a way that's not going to negatively impact the economic development of the states that you're located in. What we've been hearing from our members is that they want a more balanced portfolio, and we firmly believe in trying to offer all the solutions, not just one. Whether it's not a coal solution or just not a solar solution, but a blending. Because this way we can get hopefully the advantages of all the worlds and be able to bring it together. So we always talk about, in our business, we have a balancing act that we focus on every day. That's one, delivering reliable energy 24/7 to our customers. It's keeping the cost of energy affordable, so our economy grows. And it's protecting the environment. And every single day, every decision that we make in the utility industry, is looking at those three legs of the stool.
They're just critical about how we move forward. Utilities are putting in renewables at amazing rates. That's what we do, we build things to produce energy, and renewables are a very important part of that. Right now we still have to use other sources of energy to deliver energy to the grid 24/7. Our economy counts on that, our business and residential customers want that electricity 24/7. Renewables are an important part of that.
I'm sure you noticed the word balance, as it came up again and again in the interviews. While based on where they sit in the industry the opinions differ, we can be relatively sure that having a balanced mix is what we need to have sustainable energy.
References and Important Links
Photo of geothermal plant
Photo of coal pile cropped to fit
Wind photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Solar photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Hydr photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Natural gas plant photos
For Complete Video Tutorial, Go here
it to be there when we need it, to minimize the impact on the environment, and to be sustainable, as well as affordable, since it's critical to our economic, social, and physical well being. That's a tall order. While industry experts don't necessarily agree on what is most important or how we get there, they do tend to agree that a balanced approach is a way to go.
Renewable Energy System
Let's take a look at how our experts feel about it. So the thing about renewable energy is that you're actually generating the electricity where the resource is. So unlike oil and gas, where you're transporting the fuel or coal to a power plant, you're actually generating the electrons in location. So therefore from a global perspective, each country needs to think about what resources they have and create that mix that's going to work for their country. So say the Southeast, or the southwest part of the US, the Middle East, North Africa has tremendous solar resources. So that's going to be a large
part of their energy mix.
Other places have very high wind resources, so they're going to have a higher part of the wind, geothermal as well. So each country as they begin to develop and diversify their energy mix is going to be choosing the type of energies that work for their particular location. And this really is a global movement. Again, as prices have come down Countries are really beginning to look at these types of technologies to diversify their types of energy generation. It's very important that there is a mix. Obviously, wind doesn't blow all the time and the sun doesn't shine all the time. Sometimes water in hydro projects, if there's a drought, they may not generate as much electricity, so it is very important. I mean, coal will still have a double-digit percentage as far as I can see in terms of baseload generation where it's always there and it's always dependable, but there does need to be a mix.
Solar System and Wind Energy System
Many other states in the northeast, they have very little solar and wind, down in the south used to have a little solar and wind. Certainly, in the northwest part, there is very little solar, but they have so much more hydro, and then obviously in the southwest United States there's a lot of solar, not so much wind. But in Colorado, we're so lucky and blessed to have all of it.
So, when it comes down to it, you want to make sure that you can support the economic development of your state. You want to provide customers with the energy that they're looking for, but at the most affordable price, while you're still balancing the environmental attributes and the factors associated with it. So it really is the balance between those various factors that determine what type of resource you can build where. So it doesn't make sense necessarily to shut down a fossil-based plant if it still has a long remaining life, just to simply replace it with a renewable resource, unless there's some cost-effectiveness there. What we've really been seeing is prices are coming down on the renewable side. We've been able to transition over as we've been meeting the needs of our customers, or plants have been retiring or other PPAs have been coming offline. So it's really about finding that balance and making sure you can do it in a way that's not going to negatively impact the economic development of the states that you're located in. What we've been hearing from our members is that they want a more balanced portfolio, and we firmly believe in trying to offer all the solutions, not just one. Whether it's not a coal solution or just not a solar solution, but a blending. Because this way we can get hopefully the advantages of all the worlds and be able to bring it together. So we always talk about, in our business, we have a balancing act that we focus on every day. That's one, delivering reliable energy 24/7 to our customers. It's keeping the cost of energy affordable, so our economy grows. And it's protecting the environment. And every single day, every decision that we make in the utility industry, is looking at those three legs of the stool.
They're just critical about how we move forward. Utilities are putting in renewables at amazing rates. That's what we do, we build things to produce energy, and renewables are a very important part of that. Right now we still have to use other sources of energy to deliver energy to the grid 24/7. Our economy counts on that, our business and residential customers want that electricity 24/7. Renewables are an important part of that.
I'm sure you noticed the word balance, as it came up again and again in the interviews. While based on where they sit in the industry the opinions differ, we can be relatively sure that having a balanced mix is what we need to have sustainable energy.
References and Important Links
Photo of geothermal plant
Photo of coal pile cropped to fit
Wind photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Solar photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Hydr photos - U.S. Govt. Works
Natural gas plant photos
For Complete Video Tutorial, Go here
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