Power and energy [Technology 1998 analysis and forecast]

Worldwide, as the power generation and electricity delivery industries are transformed by converging interests with gas and telecommunications, many emergent energy companies are seeking to present themselves as environmentally conscious. One stratagem is to offer a “green” energy package-that is, a deal permitting consumers to earmark a portion of their payments for renewable energy sources. But what some call a meaningful approach, others deride as just a sop to “politically correct” opinion. Near-term, the approach taken to limit greenhouse gases in the fastest-growing Third World countries will depend heavily on the fate of some very large dam projects, most in Asia and most hanging more or less in the balance. If those projects proceed on schedule, they may do much to lessen future reliance on hydrocarbon fuels. But large dams incur large environmental costs of other kinds, besides costing a lot, affecting many people adversely, and introducing special mega-risks. They are running into a global environmentalist backlash akin to the antinuclear wave of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Three Gorges project and the environmental implications associated with it are discussed as are other large dam projects. The green energy package, new transmission and distribution technology are also discussed