The Soft Energy Path

In the Seventies Amory Lovins published a book entitled “Soft Energy Paths.” .Lovins advocated an energy policy that was decentralized, depended on renewable energy, and did not require a huge capital investment or a distribution grid.

At the time Lovins was concerned about nuclear power and coal-fired electrical plants, but we can bring this up to date.  The division between “soft” and “hard” energy has less to do with whether or not the energy is renewable and more to do with the way it is produced and distributed.

For example,the Ivanpah solar power plant in the Mojave Desert relies on acres of mirrors tracking the sun.  The power generated is centralized, requires a large investment, and needs a distribution network to carry the electricity.  The solar panels on our shed roof required a relatively small investment and no distribution grid.  Both energy sources are renewable, but one is “hard” and one is “soft.” 

The windmills recently proposed for Penn Forest Township and the PennEast/UGI pipeline for transporting gas produced by fracking are both “hard” energy sources.  Both are destructive to the environment, both are backed by large financial interests, and both have generated intense opposition.  A forty-foot backyard windmill generating electricity is soft energy; an array of 300-plus foot windmills is definitely hard energy.

The solar panels on our shed roof have not generated any opposition from local residents, although I should note that the Koch Brothers are doing their best to push policies to impede small-scale solar power generation.  

If you want to save this planet, the only one we have, push the soft energy path.