If the construction of the nation’s electrical system was one of the significant achievements of the 20th Century, then its transformation into an intelligent two-way infrastructure will be a top accomplishment of the 21st, climate crusader Al Gore said Thursday.
An intelligent energy grid will give the U.S. economy a competitive advantage, says Al Gore
The transformation of the electrical grid to handle the intermittent, unsteady output of renewable energy and to give consumers more control over energy use will be a milestone in the fight against global warming, the former vice president said.
It also will give the nation’s economy a competitive edge at a time when other countries are rapidly building smart grids of their own, Gore said at a Silicon Valley conference.
“Our current infrastructure is obsolete, outmoded,” he said. “Having a highly developed smart grid is going to be a competitive advantage.”
Gore’s comments come as the world prepares for the United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen next month, and as a small bipartisan group of senators make a last ditch effort to reach an agreement on a cap-and-trade bill before the talks begin. Gore, who said he supports Congress’ cap-and-trade legislation, noted that the necessity of global action on greenhouse gases is increasing.
Every day the world spews 90 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, leading to the further melting of polar ice and warming the world.
But he said at the GreenBeat 2009 conference there is reason for hope. A consensus is growing that fixing global warming will help the economy and enhance national security.
But that consensus is arriving none too soon. In China, the nation has embarked on building a new super 800 kV grid that will connect the entire country. Western Europe also has efforts underway to link its grid with the potential solar-producing regions of the Sahara and to northwest Africa where the winds lend themselves to energy production.
Australia and India, too, are considering links to potential solar-producing regions within their borders.
Putting America on the path to a smart grid will be “one of the most significant achievements of the 21st Century,” Gore said.
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