Here is a challenge for you.  Name a power generating process that is totally clean, completely safe and can produce enough power to make a difference? 

For many years now I have asked that question of others.  The answers vary as much as the people I have asked.  It seems that power is something we are all keenly aware of, but most of us have simply not taken the time to really think about the problem.

Here is what I see.  First, our electrical grid is old and in great need of repair.  The costs to properly update, harden and repair what we presently have correctly will dwarf that of the Wall Street bailout. 

Second, our existing grid is heavily loaded.  We need to build new production facilities, but the costs, environmental issues and local citizen and political push-back are strong deterrents.  This has created a situation where even the most aggressive production plans may not be enough to catch up with the demand growth.

Third, we continue to see a rapid increase in power demand.  This increase, and its predicted continue increase, can be attributed to everything from the expansion of our urban areas, an increase in computing demand,  the growth of electric vehicles, and a host of other power-hungry advances and trends in our society today.

The summation of this energy equation is grim.  What on earth can we do?

This question was at the core of the discussion that took place after the Sustainable Reston showing of the movie End of Suburbia.  Just how are we going to handle this situation, and how can we as Restonians do our part?

My co-hosts, Jason Hartke (VP of National Policy for USGBC) and Nick Bauer (Reston Master Planning Task Force), helped me guide a discussion about green home modifications (geothermal, window glazing, passive solar techniques), lifestyle changes (electric vehicles,  alternative energy, home modifications

But does the critical nature of our power grid, difficulty in finding affordable and agreeable power solutions and  increasing demand by our society really spell the end of what we call suburbia?  To me that question is really asking if our way of life will change dramatically if we do not do something fast. 

So what are the options?  And back to my initial challenge, “Name a power generating process that is totally clean, completely safe AND can produce enough power to make a difference?”

Let’s take a quick look:

Fuel cells:  No emissions; but production of the fuel cells and collection of hydrogen aren’t clean processes & the gas is highly flammable.  New fuel cell technology (see Bloom Energy) is looking positive for being able to produce respectable amounts of energy.

Nuclear:  Little emission issues; but the spent fuel cell rods and obvious dangers related to a melt-down make this attractive fuel source the target of environmental disdain.  The amount of power production is there though.

Wind/solar:  Both are no emission type technologies; but production, transportation & installation of the equipment can be hurtful to our environment.  Animal rights activists are not fond of wind.  And both technologies create a surprisingly small amount of energy for the effort…and the batteries to store the energy can get a frown from the green side of our populace.

Hydro-electric:  Emissions aren’t the issue here, but production of the dam changes entire landscapes.  The desire to control water (another article to come) and produce much needed power can force governments to flood entire towns and dry-up valuable water resources for those downstream.  However, the power production is for the effort is good.

Coal:  The emission issues are well documented.  The nuclear plant disaster in Japan reminded us that working there can be dangerous, but every day we have thousands of workers knowingly inhaling coal dust, fully expecting to contract “black lung”.  But we can all agree that coal can produce a large amount of energy for the work load.

Natural gas & oil:  Both have difficulties keeping emissions in check.  The EPA regulates the activity, but the fines for exceeding the allowable limits are dwarfed by the money made, so these limits are not followed very closely when you really look into this production method.  The Gulf spill showed us just how dangerous and dirty the oil extraction process can be, and both technologies can be dangerous to produce.

Bio-fuel:  The emissions can smell bad, but they are not harmful in most cases.  This technology uses our waste to produce energy, which is an added benefit if you place value on redirecting waste from the landfill or incinerator.  The process is safe, but the energy production is still not large enough to compel us to spend an enormous amount of our time building such facilities.

There are other technologies that exist, and still others that exist in the minds and chalkboard of brilliant thinkers worldwide.  Modifications to these technologies might be the biggest advance. 

 One such example is small nuclear reactors that are built into the ground, or on top of a controlled water source (see the World Nuclear Association website) . 

In fact, one week before the Japan disaster (and 32 years after Three Mile Island), Bill Gates announced that his new company, Terra Power would dive headfirst into this emerging (and potentially positive) development.

Who knows, maybe they will find a way to take Reston off the grid and onto our own nuclear generator…or maybe not.  Regardless, something needs to happen soon in this country, or we run the risk of losing our “suburbia,” if not our entire way of leading our lives. 

One thing I feel confident about though, is that the residents of Reston will always fight to keep our little slice of “suburbia” a great place to live, work and play.