Solar, wind power are not enough

Ms. Linda Vukovich (Fence Post, Aug. 18) is unhappy with our addiction to oil as are many others.

We are absolutely dependent on petroleum for our current requirements.

Now, if you equate dependence with addiction, we are indeed addicted. But are children dependent on their parents addicted to them?

Ms. Vukovich believes that long term, solar and wind power are a solution to our energy crisis, That perception is dead wrong.

We all depend on utility services for electricity, water and gas. Water and gas outages are rare.

Most of us have experienced electric power failures. When those failures last more than, say, 12 hours, many vexing problems arise - e.g., loss of heating, cooling, artificial light, TV, can't recharge your cell phone or laptop, etc.

Unfortunately, wind and solar energy have definite constraints. The sun doesn't shine at night, is weaker in winter and not available during rainstorms. There is no known practical method for storing solar power for later use.

Wind power is practical only in selected areas of the U.S. It is unfeasible in most of the South. Wind is not at optimum strength much of the time. The 400-foot-tall generators cost $2 million each and are unsightly.

Thus, solar and wind power can never be other than adjuncts to our energy needs.

Now comes the "no free lunch" part. Electric grids connected to solar or wind sources must have conventional power plants on spinning standby to fill in when solar or wind sources are inadequate.

Conventional power plants cannot be turned on with a flick of a switch. They need three days to power up.

Hence while you are using your nonpolluting energy, guess what, the power plants on spinning standby, except nuclear, are spewing greenhouse gasses but not generating power. This fact is cheerfully ignored by the solar and wind power enthusiasts.

James R. Schaefer

Mount Prospect