Energy
Don't be fuelish; conserve now or pay later
Alternatives are ready to power San Antonio
Solar energy is not the exotic, experimental power source it may have been 30 years ago. It is now providing energy in a big way around the globe. Loretta Van Coppenolle wrote Solar Energy: Ready for Baseload which includes information on projects and developments now occurring.
Contrary to popular belief, there is a cost effective and viable alternative to expanding CPS Energy’s nuclear power generation at STP 3 & 4. While solar and wind are popular and receive a lot of press, they are dismissed by CPS Energy as being too intermittent for base-load generation. The alternative that is not intermittent and not talked about is geothermal power generation.
Sierra Club member Randy Carroll-Bradd articulates why geothermal is ready to power our city in his Summary of Geothermal Energy Generation for South Texas. In addition, Carroll-Bradd has compiled this easy to digest Comparison of Nuclear and Geothermal Energy Sources for South Texas.
Recently, experts from around Texas presented the San Antonio Geothermal Symposium. They discussed using thousands of oil & gas wells over South Texas "hot spots" as sites for geothermal power plants. In addition, they showed geothermal heat pump systems, for heating & air conditioning, that are commercially available at competitive prices. Presentations from the symposium are online here.
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Energy Efficiency
| Why San Antonio Businesses Should Support Energy Efficiency Instead of Nuclear Power |
No matter how you spell it, energy efficiency is vital to creating a sustainable future. When we reduce our energy use, we decrease our output of the polluting gases that cause global warming. Energy efficiency means using less energy through better technology to light streets, transport goods and people, and power homes and businesses. Reducing our energy use is one of the most cost-effective and fastest ways to meet our energy needs. And energy efficiency saves money - money that can be invested in schools, job creation, and new infrastructure. For example, a compact fluorescent light bulb that uses 16 watts of electricity produces as much light as an old fashioned 60 watt bulb, prevents 400 pounds of coal from being burned on the south side of San Antonio to produce electricity, and saves from two to four times its purchase price. Since fossil fuel power plants generate more than one-third of U.S. global warming emissions, saving energy also reduces pollution. From high tech lighting to energy-efficient building standards to fuel efficient transportation, energy efficiency makes good sense and good cents. |
Is Ethanol the Fuel of Our Future?
Can it help fix the global warming mess? Serious questions remain. Learn all about it by visiting The Why Files' excellent Motoring on Moonshine.
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Sign Up For Action AlertsTo add your name to our local Sierra Club Action Alert email list contact us at AlamoAlerts. Help guide the decisions of your elected leaders and officials for the benefit of the environment. |