| Abstract: | James Richard Perry's U.S. Department of Energy recently released a staff report on electricity markets and reliability which, among other things, discussed concerns regarding the reliability of renewable energy system. Notably, however, the purported issues regarding renewable energy systems should be more accurately described as issues resulting from our aging electrical infrastructure, which is currently based on the 100-year old Edisonian peaker plant model. Accordingly, this article briefly reviews the environmental benefits of renewables, highlights new and exciting renewable technologies developed to overcome issues related to antiquated distribution networks, and discusses why the market for renewable energy systems will continue to flourish—regardless of U.S. Federal support. |
