Toward a Sustainable Global Energy Supply Infrastructure : Net Energy Balance and Density Considerations
This paper complements previous work on the economics of different energy resources by examining the growth potential of alternative electricity supply infrastructures as constrained by innate physical limits. Coal-fired generation meets the criteria of longevity (abundance of energy source) and scalability (effective capability to expand to the multi-terawatt level) which are critical for a sustainable energy supply chain, but it carries a very heavy carbon footprint. Renewables and nuclear power meet both the longevity and climate friendliness criteria. However, they vary in terms of their ability to deliver net energy at a scale needed for meeting a huge global energy demand. The low density of renewable resources for electricity generation and the current intermittency of many renewables limit their ability to achieve high rates of growth. And a significant global increase in nuclear power deployment could engender serious risks related to proliferation, safety, and waste disposal. Unlike renewable sources of energy, nuclear power is an unforgiving technology because human lapses and errors can have ecological and social impacts that are catastrophic and irreversible. The transition to a low carbon economy is likely to prove much more challenging than some optimists have claimed.
Summary: | This paper complements previous work on
the economics of different energy resources by examining the
growth potential of alternative electricity supply
infrastructures as constrained by innate physical limits.
Coal-fired generation meets the criteria of longevity
(abundance of energy source) and scalability (effective
capability to expand to the multi-terawatt level) which are
critical for a sustainable energy supply chain, but it
carries a very heavy carbon footprint. Renewables and
nuclear power meet both the longevity and climate
friendliness criteria. However, they vary in terms of their
ability to deliver net energy at a scale needed for meeting
a huge global energy demand. The low density of renewable
resources for electricity generation and the current
intermittency of many renewables limit their ability to
achieve high rates of growth. And a significant global
increase in nuclear power deployment could engender serious
risks related to proliferation, safety, and waste disposal.
Unlike renewable sources of energy, nuclear power is an
unforgiving technology because human lapses and errors can
have ecological and social impacts that are catastrophic and
irreversible. The transition to a low carbon economy is
likely to prove much more challenging than some optimists
have claimed. |
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