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Sandia Technology logo A quarterly research and development magazine.

Fall 2006
Volume 8, No. 3

SANDIA TECHNOLOGY

Report faces future energy challenges — continued

photovoltaic
Photovoltaic cells. (Photo by Randy Montoya)
Holding the world’s population to a level that the earth can sustain and capping energy demand at some point are also parts of step one. At the same time, consumer needs for energy must be reduced. The traditional view of an expanding world population and economy must level off or it could surge to the point of “resource exhaustion, social upheaval, disease epidemic, and then collapse,” notes the report. An ultimate plan must have some commitment to hold growing populations in check.

A key aspect of step one is limiting the use of fossil fuels — although the magnitude of energy potentially recoverable from those fuels may never be known. Conservation must be a major part of the surety plan.

Step two. Store energy for later use when there is no wind, the sun is obscured, or an energy supply is disrupted. Currently, energy storage techniques are used in limited ways, ranging from batterypowered units to manag brief interruptions to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Examples that could provide expanded energy storage include solar production of hydrogen for fuel cells, solar-powered conversion of carbon dioxide and water to liquid fuels, and energy storage from solar thermal collectors.

wind turbine
Wind turbine.
Step three. Learn how to reproduce the sun’s fusion process on Earth in a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable way. “Though we do not know if fusion can succeed as a practical terrestrial energy source, we believe that its promise is worth extensive investment,” the report states.

“While it might not be possible to fully accomplish all the goals in the energy surety model, striving toward them is far better than blindly marching toward energy depletion, environmental exhaustion, and esthetic despair, only to discover that the scarce remaining resources are inadequate to meet needs,” Robinett says. “The big question now is how to make this happen in the real world. The driver may very well be people’s pocketbooks, caused by highly unpredictable fuel prices, coupled with increasing threats of terrorism.”

Technical Contact: Rush Robinett (505) 845-9015, rdrobin@sandia.gov
Media Contact: Chris Burroughs (505) 844-0948, coburro@sandia.gov