Re:coal (Score 1)

Energy efficiency coupled with the use of coal is the best answer to meet the energy needs for today and the next couple of decades. It is easy to be critical and not actually try to be part of the solution. Does your house have the most efficient heat and air conditioning? Are all the lamps in your house utilize leds? Are you driving a vehicle that gets 50+ MPG? Have you relocated your residence so that you are walking distance of work/school/church? Point is we could all do better at using our resources better - and it isn't all up to "the other guy" or the electric utilities. Can we do better ? - of course. Replacing older heat/air units with higher efficiency units , utilizing more fluorescent lamps and led lights, insulating our houses better are all good steps toward reducing the capacity needs. The real reductions will require a reformed attitude about energy consumption. Unfortunately we probably will not see any change in real energy consumption until electricity gets very expensive. Your comments stating,"Yea, because energy users never actually see how much the energy they use costs." is a little ambiguous. Do you pay an electric bill? You probably pay around $0.10 per kwh - cheaper if you are on a municipality or an electric cooperative. If you really believe that you can provide cheaper, more reliable energy with solar generation - I welcome you to invest in the opportunity. I am sure that there are people out there willing to take your money. Otherwise the choice we have right now is to efficiently use our fossil resources.