The Kyoto Protocol has pushed its member states into making these decisions and it has also influenced non-member states such as the U.S and Russia to name a few.
For a snapshot of global energy policy and statistics, we recommend www.geni.org
For a global list of existing and planned nuclear power stations see www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.htm
Lastly a great site for international geothermal statistics - http://iga.igg.cnr.it/index.php
Click here to see a list of countries and their national Policies
The Editor’s opinion on national policy, maybe global policy, is that all avenues to develop alternative energy from renewable sources should be explored. Having to purchase oil continuously in the long term is wasteful compared to making large capital expenditure programmes in renewables.
The good news is that we are turning a corner with renewables. Experience so far shows that wind farms are popular with environmentalists yet unpopular with just about everybody else. They are a solution but I see them chiefly for use offshore. Onshore wind farms have to be located in windy areas and preferably near to the user. Places like North America, Russia, China, Australia and Greenland could have massive land based windfarms due to the available land mass, but most small countries see their wilderness places as areas of recreation and natural beauty and if there is a choice of alternative energy to be made, then wind farms should be last on the list.
In European nations where wind farms have already been constructed, the populace strongly oppose any further expansion and include ’spoiling the mountains’ as one reason for seeking other sources of alternative energy.
Solar panels are already being utilized in many countries and in many more ‘daring’ areas of life. There is no reason whatsoever why no country can exclude themselves from using available roof space as a means to generate energy. The experience and knowledge of this already exists from Germany.
Hydro has its good and bad side yet much of the hilly third world could benefit from sensitive hydro schemes. Pump storage schemes can be utilized where there is generally not such a high rainfall. This involves two lakes, a top and a bottom lake, where the water falls between the two. Power is provided using hydro facilities during peak hours and the surplus power from conventional power stations pumps the water back up again at night.
The real power though is in the sea. 60 % of our world is the sea. The sea already captures the power of the rotation of the Earth, the influence of the Moon and the local influence of the wind. You can’t imagine how much power that is.
Lets look at some of the sea bound structures that can harness some of this power in an area of 1 square kilometer 2kms offshore out of sight.
40 floating pelamis machines @ 750 KW each = 30 MW
see www.oceanpd.com
25 sunken waveswing machines @ 5MW each = 125MW
see www.waveswing.com
25 aerial wind generators @1.5MW each = 37MW
see www.nordex-online.com
They can build oil rigs to stand in 100m of water. This array of facilities would be in 40 meters of water and a walk in the park to build.
Other ocean power developments are being developed; see www.orecon.com
www.regensw.co.uk/press/news-read.asp?id=29
www.nrdc.org/onearth/05spr/gorlov1.asp
