An April 2006 poll conducted by Pew Research found that both Republicans (82%) and Democrats (77%) overwhelmingly wanted more use of renewable energy. Renewable energy is rapidly finding markets around the world to combat global warming and to counter the high costs of petroleum. Solar, wind, biofuels, and wave are four alternatives.

Solar
Production of photo voltaic panels that convert sunlight directly to electrical energy increased by 45% in 2005, typical of the rapid annual growth rate of solar energy since 2000. Japan is the leader in solar development and expects to provide 10% of iits power from solar power by 2030. Europe is the major installer of solar technology with Germany leading the way. The advent of thin film technology which uses a process akin to printing to produce solar cells is predicted to greatly drive down costs. NanoSolar Corporation is planning a manufacturing plant in the San Franciso Bay area to produce 430MW of thin-film solar cells per year, enough power to service 325,000 homes.

The largest solar farm in the world is being projected for New Mexico at a cost of $1.6 billion to provide 300MW of electricity for 240,000 homes. The project will occupy 3000 acres near the Mexican border and will require more than 6 years to complete. A 116MW solar plant will be built in the Alentejo region of Portugal to service 130,000 homes. Israel plans to construct a 100MW solar power facility in the Negev Desert. Solar thermal technology whereby the suns rays are focused to heat a boiler to drive a steam generator will be used commercially in a large 50MW plant near Granada, Spain. Solar hot water heating can now be found in 40 million homes worldwide with China leading the way having 59% of the installations and Europe in second place.

Wind
With a growth rate of 24% in 2005 wind power is the second fastest growing renewable energy source. The United States installed more wind power than any other country in 2005 resulting in an installed capacity of over 9GW compared with 18GW for Germany and 10GW for Spain. The American Wind Energy Association predicts that 6% of U.S. power will be from wind by 2020 versus 1% at present, compared with 20% for Denmark and 7% for Spain.

The largest wind farm in the U.S. is a 300MW plant on the Washington-Oregon border. Planned is an even larger 500MW facility off-shore from Padre Island, Texas, that would provide power for 125,000 homes. Ireland is planning a 520MW off-shore wind farm and the U.K. a 1GW facility in the English Channel. China announced a 1GW wind farm for Jiangsu Province. Even larger is the 1.4GW wind farm projected for Norway. The largest wind turbine can produce 5MW and support rotors more than 400 feet in diameter.

Biofuels
Biofuel production grew 19% in 2005 to constitute about 1% of the global liquid fuels market. Ethanol production from corn in the United States and from sugar cane in Brazil accounted for most of the output. Additionally, European production of biodiesel fuel from plant oils grew significantly. High crude oil prices, compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, and flex-fuel auto use has spurred biofuel production. Research into cellulosic agricultural wastes and grasses for biofuels promise higher output in a world limited by arable land.

Concerns are being raised about the limits of biofuel production in replacing liquid fuels when oil production dwindles. Biofuels are not expected to be a long term solution. Competition with food crops, deterioration of soils, ground water pollution, and loss of tropical forests are among current issues. World sugar prices have doubled in the past two years due in part to about half of the sugar crop in Brazil being devoted to ethanol production.

Wave
Pelamis wave energy converters are being tested in the Orkney Islands north of the Scottish mainland by Ocean Power Delivery Limited. Hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce 2.5MW of electricity for 150-200 homes. Pelamis converters are being assembled in Portugal waters to produce 30MW for 20,000 homes.