Hurricane Sandy Uncovers Strength and Simplicity of Renewable Energy Systems

By Elisa Wood, Contributor
November 1, 2012   

Superstorm Sandy can't kill wind and solar.

 

Virginia, U.S.A. -- Wind and solar are relatively safe forms of energy, a feature that we tend to overlook until a disaster hits like the "superstorm" that disabled New York City's power grid this week.

Unlike fossil fuel plants, they require no combustible fuels to generate electricity.  And there is no danger that they will leak radiation as did the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant following last year’s tsunami in Japan.

Hence, the Northeast’s wind and solar farms evoked little public anxiety this week when Hurricane Sandy hit – unlike the nuclear and fossil fuel infrastructure. Safety officials kept a careful eye on the nuclear power plants and three were shut down in New Jersey and New York. And the smell of natural gas in any flooded areas drew quick attention from those who understood the danger.

These anxieties speak to a larger difference between renewables and conventional generation.  Specifically, wind and solar operate under simpler systems that are prone to fewer problems, say renewable energy advocates.