Chapter 13: What Energy Users Need to Know About Renewables

In the 1970s, the United States faced an energy crisis that galvanized this nation to take steps toward securing our energy future. One of the major solutions proposed back then was renewable energy. It promised an unlimited supply of affordable, clean, reliable, and secure energy. The expectations were high and the realization seemed near. But more than two decades later, this promise has yet tobe fulfilled to the degree many people envisioned-today, renewables contribute less than 10% of the U.S. total energy mix. What happened? In this chapter, author Merwin Brown examines some of the trends in renewable energy use, starting with a thorough look at the characteristics of renewable energy. This chapter also looks at renewable energy technologies, markets, and policies, and how they'veevolved and matured. It also examines the mindset of the modern energy consumer and his/her energy choices. History has shown that it has taken decades for the technologies and infrastructures of any new form of energy to develop, markets to grow, and policies to be established before it can become a substantial portion of our energy portfolio. The author also outlines opportunities for newenergy services based on new technologies--like renewables--to gain a solid foothold in the energy marketplace.