‘On the verge of an energy revolution’

New technologies will move the world economy away from coal and other fossil fuels much more rapidly than experts from the energy industry would have the public believe, according to a new study by the Worldwatch Institute.

Hundreds of old coal-fired power plants that provide 40 percent of the world’s power could be retired in the process, eliminating up to one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions, while creating millions of new jobs, the study asserted.
The Worldwatch study said, there are concrete steps the world could be taking to transition to a low-carbon economy:
* Make buildings more efficient – Buildings consume about 40 percent of global energy and emit a comparable share of carbon dioxide emissions. More efficient lighting and appliances and improved walls and windows could reduce energy use in buildings by 70 percent or more, with the investment paid for via lower energy bills.
* Improve efficiency of power plants – Two-thirds of the energy contained in the fuel for most power plants is converted to waste heat or lost in distribution. Combined heat and power systems can reduce those losses to less than 20 percent and provide the U.S. with 150 gigawatts of generating capacity – more than nuclear power now provides.
* Expand wind power – In 2007, wind power represented 40 percent of new generating capacity installations in Europe and 35 percent in the United States. Wind power now costs less than 6 cents per kilowatt-hour on average, less than natural gas and roughly even with coal.

“We no longer need to say ‘in the future’ when talking about a low-carbon energy system,” Flavin said. “These technologies – unlike carbon-capture facilities – are being deployed now and are poised to make the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels obsolete.”

Charleston Gazette