A just released study from Duke University finds that contrary to conventional "wisdom," North Carolina could supply all of its energy needs through a combination of renewable sources that don't include nuclear power.
The implications of the study
(pdf version here) are enormous. The right combination of wind, solar, hydroelectric and landfill gas can in fact power the future. This is a point that other environmentalists such as the UK's George Monbiot have been arguing forcefully (see Monbiot's book "Heat").
It's also welcome news, given the mixed messages coming out of Washington, which appears ready to embrace a
dead-end nuclear power resurrection. The bottom line is that we don't need to go there. The researchers note that by their calculations, only 6 percent of the state's power would need to be provided from conventional generation form fossil fuel or other "dirty" energy souces.
Overview of the article
HERE.