USA - Study shows wind power much better than ethanol

A study compiled by Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University reviewed twelve combinations of electric power generation and vehicular motivation, ranking them from best to worst.

Wind power emerged as the overall victor in the study. When teamed with battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, wind power claimed the top two spots, being the best in seven of the eleven categories. Photovoltaics failed to make the top five. The Study ranked ethanol as the biggest loser of the study surprisingly falling behind clean coal.

"My hope is that policy makers will use this information and begin to focus on the best solutions to climate change, air pollution, and energy security,” said Jacobson.

So far two major alternative energy organizations RePower America and the Pickens Plan are using the information from the study to bolster their plans. Jacobson has also presented his results to New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, Chair of the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

His ranking includes research from water usage to terrorism. His study emphasized the categories of global warming emission and mortality over all others. Nuclear and ethanol did not do well in either category.

His study shows how nuclear pollutes throughout its lifespan starting in ore mining to waste storage. Ethanol made from corn and cellulosic ethanol also showed high emissions throughout its lifespan. Much of the emission released early in the processing of ethanol is never recaptured.

Experts agree significant warming will occur by the end of the century. Delays in addressing the problem will make the issue worse. Wind power is commercially ready to use and produces zero emissions.

With fuel prices low, wind power may take a back seat to the other problems we face. Jacobson says that the U.S. could install 73,000 to 144,000 five megawatt wind turbines, which would cut carbon emissions by one third.

For more information, please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net