Study diminishes promise of renewables. (Energy).(Brief Article)

Industry Week, February, 2003

Don't count on renewable energy sources to replace America's enormous consumption of fossil fuels, say ecologists from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Even if all renewable energy sources were implemented to their maximum level, they would replace only about half of U.S. consumption of oil, natural gas and coal, their analysis reveals.

"it's hard to argue with the facts," says David Pi-mentel, Cornell professor of ecology who led an analysis of future energy needs in the U.S. "If all the best renewable energy technologies were implemented to the fullest, those hydroelectric dams, wind farms and other installations would take up 17% of the land and still replace less than 50% of our fossil fuel consumption. The biggest problem is our extraordinary rate of...

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