to create the energy we get from oil by least expensive means - wind - we would need to spend an extra $10 trillion and would require an area the size of three new zealands http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_mile_of_oil The world consumes approximately 3 CMO annually from all sources. Source CMO/yr Oil 1.06 Coal 0.81 Natural gas 0.61 Biomass 0.19 Nuclear 0.15 Hydroelectric 0.17 Geothermal <0.01 Wind+Photovoltaic+Solar thermal <0.005 Installing capacity to produce 1 CMO per year requires long and significant development. Allowing fifty years to develop the requisite capacity, 1 CMO of energy per year could be produced by any one of these developments: 4 Three Gorges Dams , [14] developed each year for 50 years, or 52 nuclear power plants , [15] developed each year for 50 years, or 104 coal-fired power plants , [16] developed each year for 50 years, or 32,850 wind turbines , [17] [18] developed each year for 50 years, or 91,250,000 rooftop
Comments