Okay, the potential carbon-free energy is there...

Just in case you were wondering, the potential wind and solar energy of the U.S. is sufficient to replace total U.S. consumption -- state by state. The calculations were done by Harvard environmental studies professor Michael McElroy and his graduate students, and summarized in Harvard Magazine, March-April 2008. In fact, even the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, of the Dept. of Energy, calculates the total potential wind-generated electricity alone at twice the nation's annual consumption. McElroy includes the energy requirements of conversion of a majority of the U.S. car and truck fleet to plug-in hybrids.

McElroy has a long and distinguished cv, so I'm willing to accept that all this is true. Two little problems remain: how do you store vast quantities of wind (and solar) to balance the production with the consumption? And two, how do we get from here to there? Granted, his goal was to show simply that the energy is there -- and to take away one specific argument from the ostriches, who retreat argument by argument. See McElroy's faculty page for links to his work.

Still, what I'd like to find is someone working on how to convert existing cars and trucks to using less carbon-based fuel. Just adding one of the Prius's neat tricks, turning the power off at stops -- and letting pressure on the accelerator restart, would help!