One of the ways to combat climate change is to transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy quickly. Two of these renewable sources, solar and wind power, have enormous potential. According to a study published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the U.S. can constantly meet around four-fifths of its energy demand with wind and solar power generation.

1. Wind and Solar Power
Can Supply 80 Percent
of Electricity Needs
in the U.S.
Intermountain Wind & Solar
1953 West 2425 South Woods Cross, Utah 84087
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2. One of the ways to combat climate change is to transition from fossil fuel energy to
renewable energy quickly. Two of these renewable sources, solar and wind power, have
enormous potential. According to a study published in the journal Energy & Environmental
Science, the U.S. can constantly meet around four-fifths of its energy demand with wind and
solar power generation.
Getting 80 Percent of Electricity from Solar and Wind Alone “Encouraging” - Davis
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, the California Institute of Technology,
and the University of California, Irvine looked at 36 years of hourly weather data from 1980
to 2015 to learn the fundamental geophysical limitations to providing electricity with wind
and solar energy. They examined the variability of wind and solar energy over both space
and time and compared that to the electricity demand of the country.

3. They found that they could reliably obtain about 80 percent of the electricity from the two
natural sources in two ways. One is to construct a facility that stores half a day’s worth of
the country’s energy demand. The other is to erect a continental-scale transmission
network.
The establishment of storage or transmission capabilities, however, would mean highly
substantial (but not impossible) investments. The study authors estimated that storing
the generated electricity using today’s cheapest batteries would likely cost over a trillion
dollars. The cost of new transmission lines, in comparison, could be hundreds of billions of
dollars.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable cost, study co-author Steven Davis said that he is
encouraged that the country could get 80 percent of the energy demand from solar and
wind alone. He added that many held doubts several years ago that the two resources
could make up over 20 or 30 percent in demand.

4. What People Get by Switching to Renewable Energy
Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, can do more than just meet the electricity
demands of the nation. An article by The Alternative Daily said that this type of energy
could improve public health. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study
revealed that Americans spend around $361.7 to $886.5 billion every year for health
conditions related to fossil fuel use. Among these conditions are heart disease,
neurological problems, and cancer.
Additionally, renewable energy helps reduce the greenhouse gas emissions released into
the atmosphere. Wind and solar energy provide a way to power businesses and homes
without using fossil fuels.
While meeting 80 percent of the country’s energy demand is feasible, satisfying 100
percent using purely wind and solar energy would necessitate storing several weeks’
worth of electricity to make up for the two resource’s natural variability. After all, the wind
does not always blow, and the sun sets, noted Davis.

5. SOURCES:
 https://www.intermtnwindandsolar.com/
 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180227111639.htm
 https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/ee/c7ee03029k#!divAbstract
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23246069
 https://www.thealternativedaily.com/benefits-of-renewable-energy/