Is 100% Renewable Energy Possible?

Renewable energy is unquestionably valuable in the modern world. Developing efficient and effective methods for creating energy from renewable resources cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and provides viable sources of energy for foreseeable future. Today, we think of renewable energy as a supplement to our power grid, but could we one day use 100% renewable energy?

The prevailing theory is that yes, 100% renewable energy reliance should be possible in the future. In fact, it has already happened on a much smaller scale. Burlington, Vermont became the first US city to run exclusively on renewable electricity. Burlington is a city of 42,000, which shows that renewable electricity can be used to provide power to the masses in a stable and functional infrastructure. This increases the possibility of expanded renewable energy to our entire nation.

There are also several plans for getting the US on a more sustainable energy path. For example, one plan from Scientific American would allow the US to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030. See a preview of this plan here.

There are also many other plans for increasing our nation’s sustainable energy usage in the coming years. These plans range in intensity all the way from 70% to 100% of our energy usage.

You’re probably wondering how this could be possible. There are several different ways that these ambitious plans could be achieved. One method is the use of transmission projects. Transmission projects take energy created by renewable energy in one place and transport that electricity to another location. For the nation’s purpose, these distances might be very large. As an example, imagine that a portion of your electricity came from solar turbines in California or solar panel arrays in the southwest through an elaborate smart energy grid.

Of course, there would be many other factors and many other sources of renewable energy. Transmission projects could also be supplemented by renewable energy resources that are on-site—for your family, this would mean installing renewable energy technology in your home. Imagine geothermal generators being as commonplace as furnaces and solar panel roofing on every home! In the event of power outages or interruptions to the grid, homes would still be able to pull in some amount of electricity.

Many electric utility companies are already moving toward using more renewable energy with programs such as REC credits.  Check out Star Energy Partners green energy solutions to learn more!