What do the X Prize Cup, solar power, and Southwestern spaceports have in common? I have found the answer: the desert sun. Even in late October, the desert sun is a particular kind of harsh. It may be relatively pleasant outside (a dry heat), but for at least 3 or 4 hours mid-day, the sun is your mortal enemy. As I was standing in the desolate New Mexico "Journey of the Dead," with nary a cloud in the sky, and weather that was no different that day than the day before, I asked myself why in the world we as a society use anything but solar power for our power needs. This was quite a revelation for me (don't laugh), considering that the sun where I live impacts my life acutely for only a couple months out of the year, and I would wish much more of it in my life for the remainder.
In an interview and article published today by the Mercury News, Elon Musk connects some of these seemingly unrelated concepts. Probably, many monied Silicon Valley desert denizens think along these lines.
I'm not, strictly speaking, a venture capitalist or an investor who is out there looking for the highest return on capital. There are certain problems that I care about, and those are the things that I invest in to help solve.
At least for me, the two most important problems that humanity faces are becoming a space-faring civilization and transitioning from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy to a solar-electric economy, which I think is the primary but not exclusive long-term basis for energy and transportation.
Compared to these desert locales, I have lived in Shangri-Las as far as the presence of life is concerned. I'm used to leafy green surroundings, where life visibly inserts itself into all margins. So it's no wonder that I instinctively trust solutions for energy that involve life directly, and the sun's power only indirectly. For instance, I have expressed some hope for the use of cellulosic ethanol as an alternative to Middle-Eastern oil, at least for our transportation needs.
Throughout it all, I have been agnostic as to the method that we use for meeting our power needs. The long-term non-subsidized cheapest solution should prevail, whether it be mine-and-burn or renewable. Last year, I priced a solar power system and the sticker was shocking. Furthermore, since May 2004, the nominal retail price of solar panels has been increasing steadily. But as I was baking in the desert sun, I was sure that direct solar power generation eventually will win out -- and perhaps sooner rather than later.
Just wanted to let you know that you have won a heart-fealt fan. Pappy was raving over the phone the other day about how good of a writer you are :-)
Cheers, Dom
Posted by: Dom | December 12, 2006 at 07:11 AM