Solar Company Says Its Tech Can Power 90 Percent of Grid and Cars

Solar-power-plant company Ausra has released a paper claiming that solar-thermal electric technology can provide 90 percent of U.S. grid electricity, with enough left over to power a fleet of plug-in electric vehicles. The company estimates that changeover would eliminate 40 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions with a land footprint of 9,600 square miles, about the size of Vermont (thanks, Kent).

The key to the scenario, however, is developing the ability to store energy for 16 hours, thus creating a stable power source through cloudy periods and the night, a feat which has so far eluded engineers.

“If we can do storage,” Ausra CEO Bob Fishman said, “We can take on coal.”

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(Full Article: http://blog.wired.com)