Beyond the Light Switch

Today, in the first decade of the 21st century, the United States is facing an energy crossroads. In the next 40 years, by the year 2050 more or less, we will have to rebuild all of our power plants, reduce greenhouse gases by 50%, and completely transform our power grid--all while meeting a 30% increase in demand for electric power. How will we do that? Episode 1 discusses our current energy mix and their associated benefits and challenges: coal (carbon capture and sequestration), natural gas (hydraulic fracturing), and the renaissance of nuclear power.

Episode 2 continues the discussion of our current energy mix and their associated benefits and challenges. Nuclear energy now supplies 70% of our low-carbon electricity. There have been no major accidents in the United States since Three Mile Island, but some close calls: corrosion detected in 2002 at the Davis-Besse plant could have caused a meltdown if uncorrected. All of the current U.S. nuclear plants are to be retired in the next 40 years, but cost overruns and the continuing problem of nuclear waste disposal cast doubt on the long-term viability of nuclear power. Renewables, mainly solar and wind, show great promise; technological advances have increased efficiency. But they share a common problem: how to store their output so the current keeps flowing when the sun stops shining and the wind stops blowing. Popular resistance to the noise and unattractiveness of large-scale wind-turbine installations, such as the proposed Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, is another roadblock to greater use of renewable energy. Finally, the current and future state of our electrical transmission grid is discussed. The 2003 blackout caused 10 billion dollars in damages and left 50 million customers without electricity. Problems with the grid are not related to the generation of electricity; they are caused by the use of controls and sensors first designed in the 19th century. The proposed "smart grid" makes use of 21st century digital sensors to make it much more efficient and responsive.