What will the future of energy look like?

Video

Mark Jacobson: Lobbyists stand between us and a clean energy future

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Mark Z. Jacobson

Director of Stanford University

Atmosphere and Energy Program

Mark Jacobson of Stanford University addresses the supposed need for a “bridge” from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and how we can be implementing wind and solar energy today.

0 Comments Posted February 09, 2012

Ralph Cavanagh Puts a Concern over Renewables to Rest

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Ralph Cavanagh of the Natural Resources Defense Council debunks a well-known concern over the “intermittent” output provided by wind and solar energy. His explanation utilizes an elegant musical metaphor, and is surprisingly simple.

Even better, his solution would cut costs for renewable energy developers and customers alike. It's hard to deny the efficacy of his plan. As a utilities customer, what do you think?

4 Comments Posted January 12, 2012

Dan Arvizu on the State of Energy in the US

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Dan Arvizu, the Director the National Renewable Energy Lab, explains the current state of the energy system in the US, and why it’s “not sustainable.”

He warns that our dependency on fossil fuels needs to change, but this type of change does not typically come about easily or quickly. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of time to solve this issue, and his solution is a challenge to each and every one of us: public opinion is the “#1 ingredient” to this change. The problem is now on our doorstep and we must insist that a change is made.

He goes on to explain the mission of the NREL, and its role in a shifting energy landscape.

3 Comments Posted November 10, 2011

Back to the [Solar-powered] Future?

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Every hour, the sun supplies to the surface of the Earth as much energy as humanity consumes in an entire year. Put another way, if we were to cover a single 100x100 square mile area in the desert with solar collectors they would generate more electricity than the United States currently consumes.  Is this the future of electricity? Or is it back to the future?

It was 1979 when President Jimmy Carter first set the goal of 20% solar by the year 2000. 30 years later and solar power accounts for less than 1% of the United States’ energy supply. So what happened to our green intentions? And whatever happened to those White House solar panels? To find out, join BTLS host David Biello as he uncovers the past, present and potential future of solar power.

8 Comments Posted July 21, 2011

Jeff Goodell on The Future of Electricity

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Jeff Goodell, environmental author ('Big Coal', 'How to Cool the Planet') and contributing editor at Rolling Stone, shares his views on the future of electricity.

According to Jeff, in order to meet our growing energy needs we're going to need to stop thinking about generating 'clean' power vs. 'dirty', but instead start thinking in terms of how to develop 'smart' power vs. 'dumb'.

Goodell goes on to speculate that the current shift in how we think about the way we make and use electricity represents more than a technological transition—it's a cultural transition as well.

5 Comments Posted July 14, 2011

'ENERGY Learn. Act. Save.' A WNIN Special Presentation PART 1

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Here's another expert follow up discussion to BTLS—this video comes to us from PBS affiliate and BTLS Outreach Grant partner, WNIN. Based in Evansville, Illinois, WNIN covers a tri-state area that also serves parts of Kentucky and Indiana. WNIN put together their locally-focused panel to examine the issues related to the economics and environmental impacts of our energy use.

8 Comments Posted July 08, 2011

'ENERGY Learn. Act. Save.' A WNIN Special Presentation PART 2

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Here's PART 2 of 'ENERGY Learn. Act. Save.'  Host Mizell Stewart is joined by the these experts:

Dr. Zane Mitchell, US Green Building Council
Dick Kuhn, Efficient Energy Technologies, LLC
Dan Sander, Energy Systems Group
Deron Hawkins, Energy Systems Group
Ron Steinhart, Hafer Associates
Robbie Sears, Director of Conservation for VECTREN

Watch the video here and then be sure to check out the special's Facebook page to let them know what you think. Click here to visit WNIN's website and to find more information on re-broadcasts of ENERGY: Learn. Act. Save.

WNIN aired the one hour special call-in program on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 7pm CDT.

3 Comments Posted July 08, 2011

Seattle's 'KCTS 9 Connects' Presents: Transition of Power

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Here's another regionally focused follow-up discussion to the Beyond the Light Switch documentary—this one coming to us from Seattle's PBS station, KCTS 9. For their BTLS Grant panel discussion, an episode of weekly news and information show KCTS 9 Connects was devoted to the topic of energy use. KCTS 9 Connects is hosted by Enrique Cerna, an award-winning producer/reporter and Executive Director of Production for KCTS.

The video explores an important energy issue for the Pacific Northwest and for the nation as a whole—raising the question "what does it really take to move away from coal-fired power plants?" The discussion was sparked because an agreement has finally been reached to move Washington state off of coal-fired power generation...

3 Comments Posted June 27, 2011

A Florida Matters Special: Beyond the Light Switch

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Check out the second of our Beyond the Light Switch expert panel follow-up discussions to the documentary. Featured here is the Florida Matters special edition of BTLS. Many thanks to our grant partners at WUSF TV, the PBS affiliate serving Southern Florida.

In the video, Florida energy experts discuss the future of energy from a Floridian's perspective, answering questions like: What are the pros and cons of nuclear energy, coal, natural gas or solar power? And what happens if we simply do nothing to plan for our energy future?

3 Comments Posted May 19, 2011

David Biello Talks Energy on American Black Journal

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Scientific American editor and host of Beyond the Light Switch, David Biello, stops by Detroit’s American Black Journal to talk energy, environment and how the recent tragedy in Japan has impacted the image of nuclear power the world over. America's longest running public affairs show, American Black Journal is a weekly series on Detroit Public Television. Hosted by Stephen Henderson of The Detroit Free Press, ABJ presents a wide variety of African-American viewpoints on the important issues of today.

3 Comments Posted April 15, 2011

BTLS Expert Panel Debate - Detroit (1/5)

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Check out the first round of Beyond the Light Switch's expert panelist follow-up series: This discussion, moderated by host David Biello, is the first in a series of round-tables currently being produced by specially-selected PBS stations throughout the U.S. These debates will bring together regional energy experts and key industry players in order to examine the pressing issues currently surrounding our energy economy. The purpose of each panel is to further explore the themes introduced in Beyond the Light Switch—the way we generate and use electricity—from a state-specific perspective.
 

 

10 Comments Posted April 07, 2011

BTLS Expert Panel Debate - Detroit (2/5)

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Part 2: Director of Michigan's Sierra Club, Anne Woiwode, answers David's nuclear question by stressing the importance of aggressively building up renewable energy in the state. Dr. Dennis Assanis also outlines the energy policy recommendations he made while serving on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. To see the Council's recommendations and to download the full report, click here.

1 Comments Posted April 07, 2011

BTLS Expert Panel Debate - Detroit (3/5)

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Part 3: David Biello brings up the feasibility of 'clean coal'; the panel debates the meaning of the term and turns their attention to Anthony Earley, Jr. of DTE Energy, Michigan's largest utility, who describes his experiences with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. Cost, policy structure, and Renewable Portfolio Standards are also discussed.

1 Comments Posted April 07, 2011

BTLS Expert Panel Debate - Detroit (4/5)

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Part 4: The panel debates the environmental impacts of natural gas—including concerns about the regulation of wildcat drillers and fracking for gas in Michigan. Dr. Soji Adelaja emphasizes the importance of public awareness and education when it comes to evolving our current policy structure. The global impact of our energy policy is also put into perspective by Dr. Assanis, and David asks each panelist to share their ideal energy mix.

Michigan-based Expert Panel:
Anthony Earley, Jr. Executive Director, DTE Energy Foundation
Anne Woiwode, Director, Sierra Club - Michigan Chapter

1 Comments Posted April 07, 2011

BTLS Expert Panel Debate - Detroit (5/5)

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Part 5: As a Board Member at Ford Motor Company, Anthony Earley, Jr. feels compelled to bring a discussion of Electric Vehicles into the mix (given this particular panel's locale). The need for better battery technology is also discussed, as well as the potential impact of plug-in hybrids on the existing electrical grid.  

Michigan-based Expert Panel:
Anthony Earley, Jr. Executive Director, DTE Energy Foundation
Anne Woiwode, Director, Sierra Club - Michigan Chapter
Dr. Dennis Assanis, Director, Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute - University of Michigan

1 Comments Posted April 07, 2011

The "Christmas Coal Ash Spill" Remembered

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  On December 22, 2008 an ash dike ruptured at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. More than a square kilometer of land was covered in roughly 4 billion liters of coal ash slurry.

1 Comments Posted January 06, 2011

Will wind power resurrect the U.S. steel industry?

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Check out this deleted scene straight from the BTLS cutting room floor-in it David discusses the reality of Mayor John Fetterman's plan to restart the downtrodden economy of Braddock, PA. Fetterman hopes to turn things around for Braddock by attracting clean tech jobs (like the manufacturing of wind turbines) to Braddock's long-abandoned Carrie Furnace steel mill. This scene was skillfully edited for the web by another of our partners at Scientific American, Eric Olson.

10 Comments Posted December 01, 2010

The Future of PV: Solar Shingles

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David Biello learns more about thin film photovoltaic and discovers the best thing to happen to solar power since Jimmy Carter: building-integrated PV. To the untrained eye they may look like blue shingles, but these are shingles that can actually power your house. At their factory in Auburn Hills, Michigan David discusses this new concept in green design with Uni-Solar president Subhendu Guha. Would you put them on your roof?

6 Comments Posted November 22, 2010

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Explained

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Our man David Biello explains the science behind solar panels, and the allure of generating electricity directly from the sun's rays.

2 Comments Posted November 12, 2010

Solar at Home with Sci Am's George Musser

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Fellow Scientific American George Musser shows us around his rooftop solar array and breaks down the real costs of going Solar at Home.

14 Comments Posted November 12, 2010

This content is produced by WTVS Detroit Public Television for public television stations nationwide. Video edited for the web by Bill Kubota.