Another reason to keep coal.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/28/birdwatchers-flock-to-see-rare-bird-then-watch-it-killed-by-wind-turbine/?intcmp=obnetwork

gulfbeachbandit wrote:http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/28/birdwatchers-flock-to-see-rare-bird-then-watch-it-killed-by-wind-turbine/?intcmp=obnetwork

Even though my dad was killed in the coal mines I know he died doing something good and necessary for the country. We have lots of coal and it is a great source of fuel until we reach better ways to create energy.

Another reason to use coal to make fuel for our cars instead of gasoline.

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:Nah, we should export our coal to China and India at exhorbitant rates and replace its use with cleaner-burning and cheaper shale gas here.

Then, incorporate solar generation into new building construction so structures can generate significant power from the sun. The technologies for this are already approaching mainstream, and will only improve. Part of the future smart-grid will contain distributed power generation that will not all come from a central power plant. Some of that sun-sourced power will go directly into the plug-in hybrid vehicles we will be driving on a larger scale in the coming years.

Let the naysayers be damned--this will be how it turns out. I have read that oil will be selling for about $225 per barrel in 2030 (part of this will be psychological--the shock of Saudi Arabia becoming a net oil importer by then will help drive this). Expensive gasoline will help drive the move toward electric vehicles. I don't own one now, but expect that I one day will.....

It will be nice when coal is no longer used to generate electricity.  But we have to be realistic about the near term.   As of now,  almost half of our electricity (in the U.S)  is generated by burning coal.  And less than 4% of our electricity comes from all the renewables combined (wind, solar, etc).
An enormous investment has been made in coal-fired power plants.  It will take a lot longer to transition away from that than it takes to transition to plug-in electric vehicles.  So the first practical plug-in electric vehicles (both hybrid and all-EV) will still rely heavily on coal to make the electricity which fuels them.

When they can build an electric car that runs like my 370Z, for the same price, I will buy it. Til then no way.

PACEDOG#1 wrote:When they can build an electric car that runs like my 370Z, for the same price, I will buy it. Til then no way.

PACEDOG's grandfather speaking in 1900: "When they can build a horseless carriage that runs like my thoroughbred, for the same price, I will buy it. Til then no way."

Your grandfather's day has come and gone. And so will yours. lol