How much could renewable energy shake up the energy industry? It depends who you ask.
If you ask the energy industry itself, you might get a pretty surprising answer. The Edison Electric Institute, a trade association of utility companies that thrive on traditional power sources like oil, gas and coal, has acknowledged that solar energy in particular could profoundly affect profits for utility companies.
For now, solar, wind and other renewable sources of energy are variable. If the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining, people still need that fossil fuel energy. But, EEI says, the day could soon come when battery technology catches up to renewables, and solar panels can provide power full-time.
See the story at Grist.