A light-hearted tweet from Clean Energy NC on twitter hearkens back to Back to the Future (the scene, for those of you woefully in the dark about it):

Thing is, the time machine car was originally powered with a teensy pellet of plutonium. To generate an equivalent burst of energy naturally, compactly, they needed a bolt of lightning.

Renewable energy!? Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Huh? Think, McFly!

reality

If —

• you want natural but definitely not compact (think North Carolina–sized rather than pellet-sized), and

• you don’t mind not being able to predict when all the natural elements will align for you (i.e., will it be windy during the few short hours you get peak sun without cloud or rain), and

• you don’t care how much it’ll cost, and

• you assume perfect transmission across the entire state to your time machine car (if you’re assuming a time machine, you can assume everything else, right?),

— then hey, solar and wind from all across the entire state of North Carolina might do it.

equivalent energy investments

how many plants to replace

progress net rate change 2

For more information, consult my recent report on “Natural Gas: Low-cost energy source that curbs emissions and land impacts.”