Can the world be powered exclusively by wind, solar and wind energy by 2030? Dr. Mark Jacobson of Stanford University thinks so, and he has the research to prove it. He and Dr. Mark Delucchi published their peer reviewed findings in 2010.
On October 15, 2012, the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) co-sponsored a presentation by Dr. Jacobson at the University of Toronto, where he presented his findings to a packed lecture hall. Ontario energy expert, Ralph Torrie kicked off the presentation, hosted by Toronto Star columnist, Tyler Hamilton who dedicated his Oct 19 column to Jacobson’s work.
According to Jacobson and Delucci’s findings, the world can feasibly produce 100 percent of its energy by 2030 from sources with near-zero lifetime emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. This includes construction, operation and decommissioning. They looked at only technologies available and scalable today. These include wind, water, and solar (WWS) for power, and battery and fuel cell vehicles, including airplanes, powered by WWS electricity and hydrogen split from water, respectively, for transportation.
They concluded that the obstacles to a clean-energy future are largely political and not technical.
CCL helped arrange meetings with Jacobson and senior policy advisors to the Ontario Ministry of Energy, and Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation.
For more:
Jacobson's 2009 article in Scientific American http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/sad1109Jaco5p.indd.pdf
Research Parts I and II:
Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and materials http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/JDEnPolicyPt1.pdf
Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power, Part II: Reliability, system and transmission costs, and policies
http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/DJEnPolicyPt2.pdf
