Power generation central to climate challenges and innovation

CLIMATE SCIENCE LINKS TO INGENUITY IN FINDING NEW WAYS TO MAKE AND USE ELECTRICITY.

THESE BURSTS OF INVENTIVENESS DEFINES MUCH OF OUR MODERN LIFE, AND THEY’RE HARD TO MISS.

AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, CIVIL ENGINEERS UNLOCKED THE VAST POTENTIAL OF THE NATION’S WATER TO GENERATE POWER.

HYDROPOWER DEVELOPED IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY. BUT AMERICA’S HYDROELECTRIC ERA DIDN’T COME OF AGE UNTIL THE 1930S AND 40S.

GOVERNMENT WAS SLOW IN BACKING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.

WHEN IT DID, AND THROUGH VARIOUS NEW DEAL WORK PROJECTS, THE NATIONS TOWERING DAMS GENERATED A COMBINED 40 PERCENT OF THE NATION’S ELECTRICITY AT THEIR PEAK.

BUT TIME HAS CAUGHT UP WITH THE LAST CENTURY’S TOWERING ENERGY INNOVATION. DROUGHT AND SEDIMENT BUILD-UP IN DAMMED LAKES AND STREAMS THREATEN TO MAKE HYDROPOWER EVAPORATE.

THE WORST CASES ARE IN THE WEST.

CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF THOSE STATES WITH LOTS OF REGULATION ON ITS ENERGY PRODUCTION. IT TAKES A MIX OF NATURAL GAS, NUCLEAR, AND RENEWABLES TO POWER THE GOLDEN STATE.

ONE AREA WHERE THE ENTIRE WEST COAST HAS BEEN QUITE RELIANT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES IS HYRDOPOWER.

WHILE THERE’S LITTLE HOPE FOR “TECHING” OUR WAY OUT OF HYDROPOWER CHALLENGES, EXPERTS HAVE HOPE ABOUT THE SCALE UP OF WHAT MAY BE THE NEXT TOWERING BURST OF INGENUITY IN POWER.

THOUGH HYRDOPOWER’S TIME MAY HAVE PASSED, JASON FEW, CEO OF FUELCELL ENERGY, SAYS HYDROGEN MAY BE THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE.

“You can create hydrogen through electrolysis. And hydrogen can be stored, whether it be in tanks, pipelines, or even in salt caverns the same way we store natural gas today. So you go from talking about storing hours of energy to talking about days, weeks, months of energy.”

AND BEYOND POWER GENERATION, BUILDINGS THEMSELVES CAN HELP. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NOW OFFERS THE CAPACITY FOR BUILDINGS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHEN AND FROM WHERE IT PULLS POWER.

SAM RAMADORI, CEO OF BRAINBOX AI, EXPLAINS.

“The big step change made at Brainbox AI I is applying autonomous artificial intelligence to the heating and cooling systems of commercial buildings. We’re making them more intelligent by adding the outside or other impactful data like detailed weather information, occupancy, the cost of energy, where’s the energy coming from. And with that learning it’s learning that specific individual building and deciding how best then to run it more efficiently.”

BOTH FEW AND RAMADORI REFERENCE THE NEW BURSTS OF INGENUITY THAT MOVE THE WORLD TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY.

THE WILD CARD, AS WITH HYDROPOWER A CENTURY AGO, MIGHT BE IN JUST HOW – AND HOW FAST – GOVERNMENT TAKES NOTE.

BRIAN CALFANO, STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS