Policymakers, commercial enterprises, and scientists have focused increased attention over the past few years on the issue of energy. Of primary concern is the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel consumption, which leads to global warming. National security is an additional concern since we in the US rely on unfriendly areas of the world for a substantial portion of our fossil fuels.
Most of the recent effort has been directed toward new and better sources of energy that have a reduced impact on global warming. All the proposed sources have potential constraints and uncertainties. For example, increased use of coal for power generation will require the separation and sequestration of CO2 by techniques that are expensive and presently unproven at large scales. Nuclear energy carries with it worries about safe operation, long-term waste storage, and possible nuclear proliferation. Renewable energy sources have their own uncertainties and constraints....
