How should we generate electricity?

Last post, we described a simple model of an economy that uses 100 GW of electricity. The economy was assumed to initially be predominantly fossil fuels. We got order of magnitude estimates for various scenarios of how to transition from fossil fuels to either solar / wind or natural gas.

This post directly compares the results from last post. It concludes with my own opinion of which strategy we should pursue.

For this model, I will state numbers for both the 100 GW model economy and numbers for a 500 GW economy – about the size of the US.

How should we generate electricity?

Last post, we discussed the various power sources from the perspective of the grid and briefly discussed energy storage. This post will put together the results of Parts I & II in a simple model to test different strategies for moving away from using fossil fuels to generate our electricity.

The simplifications in the model will make the transition away from fossil fuels look easier than it is. But they should be a fair comparison between the different strategies we might use.

How should we generate electricity?

Last post, we discussed various alternatives to fossil fuels. In this post, we will take the perspective of the grid. How do each of these power sources impact the functioning of the grid?

How should we generate electricity?

Currently, the majority of our electricity comes from fossil fuels, especially coal and natural gas. Burning fossil fuels has given us access to tremendous amounts of energy and has made modern civilization possible. Without them, we would have had trouble feeding ourselves, let alone obtaining our current standard of living.

Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that warm the global climate. And they will run out eventually. What other sources are available?