Decades ago Professor Amory Lovins distinguished between a “hard energy path” and a “soft energy path.” The difference is not so much between renewable and non-renewable energy as it is between how the energy is produced and distributed. It is true that soft energy technologies often depend on renewables, but renewable energy can be quite hard.
The difference in the two paths lies in the infrastructure, the investment, and the distribution networks. Soft energy is decentralized energy. It doesn’t need a distribution grid, nor does it take much initial investment. It is difficult to disrupt, since there is no centralized source. Solar panels on our shed roof are a soft energy source; a 1700 acre solar “farm” in Kidder Township, with its huge capital investment and its distribution infrastructure is a hard source.
The ideal is energy production that is both renewable and “soft.” That’s what we must push for.
No comments:
Post a Comment