We will need multiple sources in the future. Both Solar and Wind are needed. Wind will provide more employment because more maintenance is needed than solar. Solar should be invested in to help bring the future costs down. Which our present republican candidate does not support.
http://www.ieer.org/reports/NC-Wind-Solar.pdfConclusion
The important conclusion from all of the calculations is that a system with annual
sales of 91 billion kWh can be run with 76% of total generation coming from intermittent
solar and wind sources. The intermittent sources would be assisted by 2,000 megawatts
of biomass generation or cogeneration, 2,500 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity, and
1,500 megawatts of pumped storage. If such a system also has ice storage (in the
summer), load control, and access to vehicle batteries, it can be run with some modest
outside-of-system purchases and 2,700 megawatts of auxiliary gas-fired capacity.
Purchases and auxiliary generation are needed for 6% of electricity loads. There were, in
this simulation, 17 hours out of the 2,952 examined in which generation would fall short.
These results were obtained with only three onshore windpower sites. The periods of
shortfall would be reduced in a system with multiple wind sites distributed over a wide area
(North Carolina has 200 mile long area in which mountain winds are strong, 320 miles of
coastline and vast areas offshore). Also, the auxiliary power needs shown here would be
somewhat smaller if carry-over power in pumped storage facilities were applied to needs in
succeeding days.