Could African solar energy provide European electricity?

A German consortium, Desertec, is contemplating harnessing the sun’s energy in the North African desert to provide up to 15% of Europe’s electricity with little or no carbon dioxide emissions.

Insurance company Munich Re, wants companies like Siemens, Deutsche Bank, E.On and others to become involved. The idea is to establish solar farms in Tunisia and then send electricity to Europe.

“Over 90% of the world’s population could be supplied with clean power from deserts by using technologies that are available today,” said a Red Paper available on the Desertec Foundation web site, which is www.desertec.org.

The idea for solar power on a grand sale is nothing new, but cheap oil prices have discouraged its development previously. Germany’s Environment Ministry commissioned Hans Muller-Steinhagen to investigate the feasibility of Desertec, which is estimated to cost $555 billion.

Muller-Steinhagen says the technology already is available, and he tentatively believes such a project might be possible. He says no other energy source can achieve the massive energy density as sunshine.

Generators humming

The sound of generators is common across Houston following Hurricane Ike, which wiped out power to much of the city. The longer my neighborhood goes without power, the more generators I hear at night through my open bedroom windows.

Shortly before Ike struck Galveston, Tex., on Sept. 13, I received a news release from Colonial Pipeline Co. about how Colonial nearly used its generators following Hurricane Gustav, which knocked out electricity at three of Colonial’s central Louisiana stations on Sept. 1.

Colonial bought portable generators after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Following Gustav’s landfall along the Louisiana coast earlier this month, Colonial crews were about 1 hr away from cranking up the generators to restart operations at the Baton Rouge plant when commercial power was restored.

In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused Colonial to shut down completely for 2 days each time. Colonial spokesman Steve Baker says lessons learned in those hurricanes contributed to Colonial quickly restoring pipeline service during this hurricane season.

Meanwhile, I am wondering if electricity to my home will be restored if I go buy a generator, assuming I could even find one to buy in Houston right now. Colonial was wise to buy its generators when it did.