Investing in Wind, Not Wars, Could Produce Quick Results

 

Some good news for your Friday about just how easy it would be to foster energy independence in the most populated region of America, the east coast:

This week the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory issued a study that shows how the eastern half of the U.S. could obtain as much as 30 percent of its electricity from wind by 2024.

Essentially, all we need to do is come up with at least $93 billion for new power lines and infrastructure and get myriad transmission operators and local agencies to cooperate on the design of a new high-voltage grid.

Sounds daunting. But let’s put the numbers in context. The $93 billion is roughly what the U.S. spends in eight months on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Or to use another metric, a little more than what Joe Taxpayer forked over to bail out AIG.

It's really not all that hard to do what we need to do here.  These numbers paint a pretty hopeful picture of just how possible it is to transition America to a clean energy-powered economy.  That's something to smile about over my Friday after-work beer!

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