BLOG, The Science Debates
By Yasha Husain, posted May 14, 2009
Debate #2: Green Energy in the American Southeast
Solar and wind installations side-by-side
Photo Courtesy of National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Moderator Question:
It's been said that in the southeastern portion of the United States there's not a lot of solar or wind resources.But could the solar and wind potential there in fact be utilized to create hybrid energy systems reliant on a host of renewables including offshore wind, concentrated solar, and the energy carrier hydrogen, when it's produced from the sun or wind via electrolysis?
According to the latest science, what are some of the more promising green energy options for the American Southeast?
Expert Commentary:Below are a number of expert voices that weighed in for this debate. While the views expressed are divergent they also contain overlapping ideas about the future of southeast energy.
Please choose from the list of names to read expert commentary. The three main topics in the debate, 'offshore wind,' 'concentrated solar power,' and 'hydrogen created from solar electrolysis,' are explored in terms of what is known and unknown about the science and in terms of the relevant policy concerns. Onshore wind and photovoltaics are discussed in some places too. Bioenergy is mentioned for its importance, but for the purposes of this debate about solar and wind energy, it is not elaborated on further.
Robert Leitner, Director of South Carolina's Institute for Energy Studies at Clemson University
Nate Blair, Senior Analyst/Group Manager at National Renewable Energy Laboratory in
Colorado
Jeffrey Nelson, Manager, Concentrating Solar Power Systems, Sandia National Laboratories
Fred Humes, Director of the Education, Training and Research Center at ARC: Hydrogen in Aiken, South Carolina
Todd Stone, Director of Marketing, 3TIER, Global Renewable Energy Assessment and Forecasting
Erika Hartwig Myers, Renewable Energy Coordinator for the South Carolina Energy OfficeChris Daetwyler, Staff Specialist, SC Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance
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Topics in the debate:
Offshore Wind
Concentrated Solar
Hydrogen from Solar Electrolysis
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Debate #2: Comments
Received May 17, 2009 9:10 p.m.
James Hansen, "Hydrogen is not an energy source -- and not an effective energy carrier -- don't bet anything on it."
Hansen is Director: NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Hansen's comment was the first to be posted for Debate #2; to view more comments, please link to the page, Debate #2: Comments.
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Comments
If in response to Decision '09, The Science Debates you would like to have your comments posted, please submit them to yashahusain@gmail.com.