Plug-In Hybrids Need Clean Energy to be Useful

It is true that plug-in hybrids have vast potential help reduce gas and oil usage, but how beneficial they are depends on what kind of energy they are plugging into, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon.

Plug-in hybrids and clean power generation go hand-in-hand, authors of an article in Environmental Science and Technology explain. If they don't use gas, but instead plug into fossil energy when they get home, they're basically breaking even. At that point, it could be equally beneficial to just drive a gas-powered hybrid.

Alternative energy generation, including cogeneration, wind, hydrokinetic, geothermal and solar are all viable ways to preserve the benefits of plug-in hybrid technology. Authors Constantine Samaras and Kyle Meisterling use their finding as an argument for clean utilities promotion and development.

The trend seems to be going in their direction; coal-fired power plants and other ‘dirty’ utilities are facing increasing scrutiny, and in many cases, permit rejection. In fact, Kansas recently rejected permits for a coal fired power plant and vetoed a follow up bill to allow it. Dirty power is getting a "coal-shoulder," could allow plug in hybrids to serve their purpose best.

Read more at Science Daily.