A Stanford U. research group has calculated how clean, renewable energy could replace dirty energy worldwide (links below). The gist:
- The study covers 145 countries, which emit 99.7% of world's carbon dioxide.
- Overall upfront cost to replace all dirty energy in the countries considered is about $62 trillion.
- Due to $11 trillion annual energy cost-savings, the scheme pays back for itself in under 6 years.
- the plan may also create 28 million more long-term, full-time jobs.
Some details:
- No miracle technologies needed.
- All energy sectors are electrified by means of renewable sources (solar, wind, hydrology) -- creating heat, cold, and hydrogen from such electricity -- storing electricity, heat, cold, and hydrogen -- expanding energy transmission.
- Biggest reason for the cost reduction: clean, renewable energy uses much less energy than combustion-based energy.
- Worldwide energy usage goes down by 56% with an all-electric system powered by clean, renewable sources (reasons: efficiency of electric vehicles over combustion vehicles -- efficiency of electric heat pumps -- efficiency of electrified industry -- eliminating energy needed to obtain fossil fuels).
Here are the links:
- article published by the study's leader, Prof. Mark Z. Jacobson in The Hill (an influential Washington DC outlet)
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