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[eds]

Consider the difference between a 20th century, and 21st century electricity system.

In the 20th century, power was generated,
. . . in large-scale power plants at a distance from population centers,
. . . sent by large transmission lines to cities, and
. . . managed in a centralized, top-down fashion,
. . . by a monopoly electric company.
There was no viable alternative to this model.

Today, we can generate power on rooftops or farm fields,
. . . manage it in real-time with smart thermostats or appliances, and
. . . control it remotely with smartphone apps, and automation software.
In this environment, do we need a traditional, top-down electricity system?

New York regulators are telling utilities,
. . . that they will no longer own, and operate
. . . distributed renewable energy resources.
It’s the first step toward flattening the electricity system,
. . . from a one-way, top-down grid,
. . . to a massively networked, and
. . . democratized energy delivery marketplace.
Similar processes are underway in Washington, Minnesota, and other states.

04-07-2015 Source: Electricity: 20th century VS 21st century

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[eds]

Solar, needs "Direct Sunlight" to generate energy.
. . . on a South facing roof top, that means 4 to 4 1/2 hours a day, and
. . . the Suns heat on the roofs Solar panels, decreases that energy amount.
Mobile Solar on the ground, can be cooled by breezes,
. . . as it tracks the Sun, pointing East, than South, and West,
. . . during 12+ hours a day, and thin-film solar is very light-weight,
. . . allowing a large surface area of energy collection.

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[eds]

Revolutionizing Energy!

[eds]

Japan, residential solar power production costs have more than halved since 2010,
. . . to under $0.25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

China's is seeking alternatives for coal,
. . . 2/3 of its energy consumption.
2014 solar capacity was 26.52 gigawatt (GW),
. . . but the government wants 17.8 GW more this year.

India, also wants to replace coal with solar in a big way.

04-26-2015 Source:  Japan Solar $0.25 per kilowatt-hour

[eds]

Japan's new Energy Plan for the next 15 years,
. . . 24% Clean energy sources,
. . . 22% Nuclear.

None of Japan’s commercially operable nuclear reactors are working at the moment.

If all 24 nuclear reactors currently under review for a restart,
. . . by the country’s nuclear watchdog are allowed to switch back on,
. . . they would still not be able to generate more than 16% of Japan’s power.

Such a mass-scale restart is unlikely,
. . . according to Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Germany.
“The scale of the challenges facing the nuclear industry are such,
. . . that generation from reactors is likely to collapse during the coming decade,
. . . many reactors will never restart, and
. . . most reactors over the coming years will be too old to operate.”

04-30-2015 Source:  Clean Energy Will Edge Out Nuclear