Energy System Needed for the United States (and the World)

  1. Fuel cells, solar photoelectric panels, hydropower, wind, geothermal and biofuel electricity generators at homes, work sites and parking garages to charge electric and hybrid vehicles' batteries and feed energy into the national electric grid. All possible fuels are used for the fuel cells. That is, create a distributed energy system to supplement, and eventually replace, huge coal, natural gas and nuclear electric power plants. Every new and redone roof should have photoelectric shingles on, at least, the north-facing sides. Every building over 10 stories should have wind generators on their roofs.
  2. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that automatically connect to the national grid and local energy sources when parked at homes, work sites and parking garages.
  3. Plug-in vehicles can serve as national and local grid energy storage devices when at rest and drive away as fully charged vehicles for travel. They also serve as electric power backup at the home location.
  4. Use biodiesel and alcohol (ethanol and methanol) made from new and recycled vegetable and animal oils and other wastes, soybeans and algae as fuels for long-distance hybrid-vehicle travel between recharging sites.
  5. Use the remaining fossil fuels to develop the infrastructure needed to accomplish the items listed above on a large scale, instead of merely as fuel for transportation.

L. David Roper, http://arts.bev.net/roperldavid