I’m particularly keen on concentrating solar power because it’s a straightforward and scalable source of electricity. If you’ve ever used a magnifying glass to fry a bug, you have experienced the simplicity of converting light into heat. With an array of mirrors known as heliostats, it’s possible to focus a large amount of sunlight on a single lens and create a lot of thermal energy. This heat is then converted to electricity, and the whole process doesn’t take millions of years. With this energy we can gradually eliminate coal power plants and redesign the auto industry around electrics.
Since prevailing corporations have such a profitable interest in the status quo, they have done little to champion alternatives — passing up a big opportunity to lead the way. As a result, new companies like Bright Source, eSolar, and Solar City have emerged and succeeded in converting the Sun’s radiation into electricity, and money. Even Google is in on the action. It’s a start, but it’s not exactly a radical change. There’s a lot more to come.