What makes a technology conventional is its widespread use,
and what makes it widespread is its low cost and convenience. Therefore, almost
by definition, alternative technologies cost more than conventional ones, at
least in terms of the price paid by the consumer. For example, among
alternative technologies, wind power has come the closest to competing with
conventional fossil fuels, yet it still costs about 50 percent more than coal-generated
electricity. If, however, one takes into account the hidden costs of
conventional energy and the noneconomic benefits of alternative technologies,
then the equation changes.
Growing awareness
of the environmental costs of conventional energy has led to increased demand
for cleaner energy. Global warming, in particular, has altered the way many
people think about the energy they consume - which, in turn, has begun to reshape
the economic relationship between energy producers and consumers. As more and
more consumers sign up for green energy programs and buy hybrid cars (both of
which carry additional costs),
energy companies are reconsidering whether the conventional wisdom of cheap, convenient, and plentiful above
all still applies. Skeptics
argue that the demand for cheap, large-scale energy resources will continue to trump
the relatively new consumer preference for clean, renewable alternatives. On
the other hand, if the era of cheap petroleum-based energy is indeed ending -- as
shrinking petroleum reserves
and rising gasoline prices indicate -- then one may not even have to factor in the hidden costs and benefits for
today's alternative technologies to become tomorrow's conventional resources.
For the time being, however, solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy remain the principal alternative technologies. All are environmentally clean, and all are renewable, meaning that their fuel supply is, for all practical purposes, infinite. For this reason, the terms ‘alternative energy’ and ‘renewable energy’ are often used interchangeably, but they shouldn't be. Hydropower, for example, although a form of renewable energy, is considered a conventional technology because it has been in widespread industrial use for generations. (Nuclear energy is considered conventional for the same reason.)
The most common use to date for solar and wind energy has been
electricity generation, with wind having the greater potential for large-scale,
grid-connected use, and solar currently more suited to local and building-scale
installations. Most of the work being done on biomass energy has been focused
on small-scale power generation and biofuels (such as ethanol), while the
principal application for geothermal energy has been the heating of homes and
other buildings.
(‘The Bedside
Baccalaureate’, edited by David Rubel)