Presently most of the world uses three non-renewable fossil fuel sources in addition to nuclear energy to generate electricity: coal, natural gas and petroleum. Also used in significant quantity is hydroelectric power generation. In limited quantity we see some geo-thermal production and limited quantities of wind turbines.

Since fossil fuels are essentially finite in total availability over the long haul, new sources of creating electricity will have to be found or existing alternative methods made profitable.

For instance, present photo-voltaic methods cost some US$0.023 to US$0.32 per kilo-watt hour which is current KWH prices in the USA range from USS$0.058 to US$0.l67.

Geothermal sources provide less than 1/2% of electricity in the USA and their cost effectiveness presently is limited to areas where geothermal activity is relatively close to the surface of the earth.

Wind turbines generate less than 1/2% of electricity in the USA. In most places the cost of this wind power is not yet fully price competitive but the efficiency of wind turbines is improving and capacity has grown to well over US$4 billion annually in the USA but still less than 1/2% of all electricity produced.

Innovation in most industries comes from small companies that develop a breakthrough technology.

In the foreseeable future (10 to 15 or 20 years out), what do you see as the source(s) to replace fossil fuels for the production of electricity that most of us do not presently have in our viewfinders?

posted 10 months ago in Commodity Markets | Closed | Flag question as…