Reducing U.S. Dependence on Fossil Fuels: Energy Alternatives

Introduction

While the debate over the precise date when peak oil will arrive continues, some experts argue that the world has already passed this milestone, and the world's growing hunger for energy resources will inevitably deplete them entirely regardless of the precise date involved. Against this backdrop, identifying ways that the United States can lessen its dependence on fossil fuels represents a timely and essential enterprise for the nation's security at home and abroad. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to explain the significance of this problem and ways the United States can incorporate renewable alternative fuel sources such as wind and solar power into its current energy grid. A recommendation concerning a viable strategy to reduce America's dependence on fossil fuels, along with the rationale in support thereof, is followed by a summary of important findings in the conclusion.

Significance of the Problem

At present, oil, coal, and natural gas are the three most significant sources of fossil fuel energy used by the developed countries of the world, and there has been little economic incentive to identify viable replacements for these resources since they are all relatively cheap and the infrastructure required for transporting and using them is already in place (Deal, 2010). The list of renewable alternative energy resources that could replace these fossil fuel resources is well known to most Americans, with solar and wind power representing two of the most commonly cited by experts today. In addition, other renewable energy resources such as biomass, hydrogen cell, tidal power, and hydro- and geothermal power have also been mentioned as potentially viable replacements for fossil fuels. Indeed, some experts even suggest that it may be possible to harness the sun's energy by collecting it in outer space and beaming it back to collection stations on Earth.

By contrast, the 800-pound gorilla in the renewable resource room — nuclear energy — which also has the most to offer, appears to have lost much of its appeal in recent years. This diminished interest in nuclear energy persists despite a proven track record of safe operations in the vast majority of its applications around the world, owing to rare but high-profile incidents such as Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which was severely damaged by a major earthquake in 2011, and the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986 in the former Soviet Union. Both incidents resulted in the release of radioactive emissions that adversely affected surrounding human populations.

Moreover, even if the entire international community launched a Manhattan Project-level initiative right now, there may not be enough time left to fully develop and deploy sufficient alternative energy initiatives to completely replace the enormous amounts of fossil fuels currently being consumed by the United States and other heavily industrialized countries. Further exacerbating the current overreliance on fossil fuels is the growing demand for energy from the so-called "BRIC" countries (i.e., Brazil, Russia, India, and China), as well as other nations with rapidly expanding middle and upper classes.

Against this backdrop, identifying the most suitable renewable energy resources is certainly essential for protecting the nation's interests and ensuring the well-being of its citizens. However, time is running out, and a number of constraints limit investments in alternative technologies — most notably the continuing availability of cheap oil from the Middle East. In addition, the political torpor that has long characterized America's response to renewable energy has, in recent years, given way to a concerted effort to derail some of the most promising alternatives, including solar power.

Indeed, even while this paper was being written, President Donald Trump took the extraordinary step of invoking steep tariffs on imported solar equipment, including solar panels. According to a report from Eckhouse, Netter, and Martin (2018), "In the biggest blow to the renewable energy industry yet, the U.S. will impose duties of as much as 30% on solar equipment made abroad, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80% of its supply" (para. 2). These newly imposed duties on imported solar equipment were expected to cause the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the renewable energy sector. This initiative continued the administration's track record of ignoring the harsh fossil fuel realities facing the world today, including its withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and its reversal of several Obama-era power plant emission regulations (Eckhouse et al., 2018).

The circumstances that have driven interest in developing alternative energy resources in recent decades tend to vary based on the exigencies of narrow geopolitical interests rather than the realities facing the world's population. For example, following the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973, there was an enormous surge of interest in identifying alternative energy resources, and the U.S. government sponsored numerous expensive projects to that end (Deal, 2010). Once the embargo was lifted and oil began flowing freely again, however, interest in developing alternative energy resources declined significantly, and the subsequent glut of cheap fossil fuels further dampened serious investment in alternatives among both government agencies and private investors.

Complex problems demand complex solutions, and identifying viable replacements for fossil fuels is certainly no exception. The potential for selecting an inappropriate or suboptimal alternative resource for development may result in further delays that the world's population can ill afford. Furthermore, the fossil fuel industry causes far more deaths each year than the rare nuclear power plant incidents have caused over the decades. Nevertheless, there has not been a new nuclear power plant completed in the United States since the Watts Bar 1 in Spring City, Tennessee, began operations in 1996 (Status of nuclear power in the United States, 2017). Notwithstanding this lack of progress, 109 plants continue operating safely across the country, providing nearly 10% of the nation's energy needs today.

Constraints on Renewable Energy Development

Even under optimal circumstances, renewable energy technologies remain constrained by a number of technological and logistical factors that must be resolved before any of these alternative energy sources can replace a significant percentage of America's fossil fuel energy needs. Wind energy, for example, requires a far higher initial investment compared to fossil fuels; the technology is entirely dependent on climate patterns; wind farms are widely regarded as eyesores; and they harm local wildlife, most especially birds that are killed when they fly into turbine blades (Advantages and challenges of wind energy, 2018). Likewise, other potential renewable energy sources such as solar and biomass power are still far more expensive than their fossil fuel counterparts, and current indications suggest that even massive economies of scale in production will not offset these cost differences anytime soon.

Some indication of the severity of the problem can be discerned from the breakdown of current energy sources used by the United States and other industrialized nations. Fossil fuels still account for the vast majority — approximately 84% — of energy being used around the world today (Deal, 2010). Given that the fossil fuel trajectory is clearly unsustainable, it may be difficult for some observers to understand why so little progress has been made in this area. After all, it is only a matter of time before fossil fuel resources are depleted to the point where they are no longer commercially viable for extraction, and the world's 8 billion people cannot wait centuries for adequate alternative energy resources to be developed and deployed.

Conclusion

The clock is ticking loudly, but the research showed it is not ticking loudly enough to attract the attention that the problem of dwindling fossil fuel supplies demands. Unless action is taken now, the potential for the United States to face a serious energy shortfall in the foreseeable future is very real, and waiting for a worst-case scenario is not a legitimate option. The research also showed that, of the potential alternative resources available, nuclear power stands head and shoulders above the rest. In the final analysis, it is in the nation's best interests to aggressively pursue nuclear power technologies today in order to avoid an energy crisis in the future.

References

Advantages and challenges of wind energy. (2018). U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved from

Deal, W. F. (2010, September). Wind power: An emerging energy resource. Technology and Engineering Teacher, 70(1), 9–12.

Eckhouse, B., Netter, A., & Martin, C. (2018, January 23). President Trump slaps tariffs on solar panels in major blow to renewable energy. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/5113472/donald-trump-solar-panel-tariff/.

Status of nuclear power in the United States. (2017). American Physical Society. Retrieved from