For years, first as head of the Worldwatch Institute and subsequently at the Earth Policy Institute, Lester Brown has been been the environmental movement's Official Bearer of Bad Tidings. In fact-filled analysis upon analysis, he and his colleagues have painted a chillingly persuasive portrait of a world headed in the wrong direction.

 

What an unexpected pleasure, then, to see a report issued under his name that could have been issued by Good News Central. Entitled New Energy Economy Emerging in the United States, the update declares unequivocally that the “old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced by one powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy.” Not only that, but the “transition is moving at a pace and on a scale that we could not have imagined even a year ago.” 

The report focuses on three renewable-energy areas: wind, solar and geothermal. Wind, the report declares, “appears destined to become the centerpiece of the new U.S. energy economy, eventually supplying several hundred thousand megawatts of electricity.” Solar power is “growing at breakneck speed,” while “geothermal energy is also developing at an explosive rate.”

The report cites some of the most exciting projects currently underway, including a 2,000-megawatt wind farm in Wyoming being developed by the Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz and two PG&E solar projects that will cover twelve miles of desert with solar cells and have a peak output comparable to that of a large coal-fired power plant.

Why the breathtakingly rapid transition to a new energy economy? According to Brown, “It is historically rare for so many interests to converge at one time and in one place as those now supporting the development of renewable energy resources in the United States. To begin with, shifting to renewables increases energy security simply because no one can cut off the supply of wind, solar, or geothermal energy. It also avoids the price volatility that has plagued oil and natural gas in recent decades. Once a wind farm or a solar thermal power plant is built, the price is stable since there is no fuel cost. Turning to renewables will also dramatically cut carbon emissions, moving us toward climate stability and thus avoiding the most dangerous effects of climate change.” 

There’s a bit of the old (and depressing) Lester Brown in that last sentence, which reminds us that in some ways we’re past the climate-change point of no return. Still and all, it’s a very upbeat report. Brown’s conclusion: “(F)or the first time since the industrial revolution we are investing in energy sources that can last forever. This new energy economy can be our legacy to the next generation.”