Base Load

No this isn't about baseball, this is about energy options to power future generations.

A term that we need to understand before talking about viable energy sources for the future is called base load. It essentially is defined as the minimum power needed to supply the reasonable consumer demand. This can help us gauge what we use on average, although differences exist depending on season and location.

Starting with the basics we look at all energy sources today, classified into 3 main groups:

1. Fossil fuels---coal, petroleum, and natural gas
2. Renewable forms of energy---hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind
3. Nuclear power

Now looking at the graph above and focusing only on the Residential front, our base load hovers right around 20 Quadrillion Btu.

What then is Needed:For a more accurate example we can look at the Census Bureau's stats on 119,117,000 homes in the census for 2001. Using the average number of 923kWh used per household per month we would then need nearly 110 Million MW/month (equating to roughly 4.5 Quadrillion Btu)...and that is just residential.

What is the Solution/Options: Looking to alternative renewable measures we need to consider what their output is and if it can maintain a base load to meet our demands (or be more conscious of over consumption...but that would be a miracle).

1. Hydroelectric: If Hoover Dam had all 17 generators running at full capacity it would produce 2080 megawatts of power (7.1 Billion Btu or .000007 Quadrillion Btu)
2. Wind Turbines: According to the AWEA the largest wind farm located in Horse Hollow, TX outputs 736MW (2.5 Billion Btu). A total of 16,818MW (.000057 Quadrillion Btu) are generated in the US.
3. Solar: The Nevada Solar One produces a maximum capacity of 75MW (256 Million Btu).

You can see by these three examples that it is difficult to attain a base load using renewable energy today, which is why renewable energy only accounts for 18% of our global energy source (majority in large hydro-power) ...BUT that is no reason to sit by the wayside and use up our fossil fuels. If anything we need to create more renewable energy options, which in turn creates jobs, fuels more money into the US economy (keeping it away from our enemies, all while still keeping in mind that we can't use it as our sole source of energy...at least not for some time. So as glamorous as it sounds to use ONLY green energy, according to educated scientists, environmentalists, economists (proponents and opposition) we do need to fund an option that will help to keep our base load where it needs to be and prolong the exhaustion of our fossil fuels.
Note: If you read my blog you'll find I'm about as green as a leprechaun, but I am also a realist and know that in order to talk this great idea we need a realistic plan too.