Reply #2: Not to mention all the other cool designs out there.

[DCKit]

But wind power is only appropriate where the wind blows. Solar electric and concentrating solar will be necessary in other areas and a mix of the two (or three) appropriate in still other areas. Add in biomass, wave, tide and hydro and getting off imported oil within a decade or two is conceivable.

We're going to need a mix of technologies tailored to every single area of the country, but none of these things is even improbable and, after the next round of rises in electric utility rates, even solar should become financially competitive with conventional generation.

Finally, we could cut our energy needs by 1/3 almost immediately with a massive conservation and efficiency program - and I've seen it done in both commercial and residential properties. It's a matter of will in dealing with the up-front costs and presenting the facts to the people who will benefit.