I keep wondering about energy being provided by large companies vs. decentralized energy. I found a couple of interesting statements about this in "A fight over the future of solar", a Perspective article published in CNET News.
Herman Scheer argues that many undeveloped areas of the world will not be able to afford large distribution networks to provide power from centralized power stations. He also mentions how power distribution networks are a terrorist target. I think it was in the 80's some disgruntled people were toppling towers. Distribution networks are also vulnerable to weather and human error.
I think the oil companies and the power companies have to recast themselves more as energy companies, providing not energy but energy solutions. This may be providing self-contained systems for a factory or a residence, especially a rural residence, or providing linked systems for small areas. Whether we bring coal hundreds of miles or string hundreds of miles of power lines, we lose energy doing so.
I would hope that energy companies first look to their own energy needs and how they could become less dependent on other sources.
