The United States has approximately 100,000 homes equipped with solar-electric systems and about 10,000 powered entirely by solar electricity. Wind power generation grew an average of 40 percent worldwide between 1994 and 1998 and was the fastest growing energy source in the world last year. Costs for wind power have fallen so low in recent years that in certain regions, wind is competitively priced with coal-based electricity. Today, only 0.15 percent of the world's energy comes from wind. According to a recent report by Greenpeace International, the European Wind Energy Association and others, if we were to use wind to supply 10 percent of the world's energy, 1.7 million jobs would be created.
Fuel cells generate electricity from the energy released when oxygen and hydrogen combine.
They are similar to batteries except that, with a continuous supply of hydrogen and oxygen, there's no need for recharging. The cost of fuel cells is approaching affordable levels. Agricultural residues, commercial wood and logging residues, animal wastes, the organic portion of municipal solid waste, and methane gas from landfills can all be used to create energy in a process that has several advantages over fossil fuels. This is a virtually limitless option because of the diversity of sources. By creating another potential market for agricultural products, biomass can boost local economies and promote sustainable agriculture.