I'm not sure that renewable energy will ever completely replace fossil and nuclear energy. Beside despite being labeled as green it still has problems - hydroelectric plants disrupt natural river flow, production of solar panel is very toxic and so on.
Actually i would not be surprised if it turns out that nuclear energy has the least overall impact on environment. Unfortunately people have almost irrational fear of radiation. Nobody wants to live near nuclear power plant yet burning coal actually release more radiation.
Yeah, unless storing massive amount of electricity is made possible, renewables (solar/wind/water) can never be base energy source, as they fluctuate alot, just too unstable and unreliable to be backbone. Can only work to reduce fossil fuel consumption at those thermal powerplants. Even then thermal as well as nuclear plants aren't sth you can switch on and off whenever you want according to demand.
Can be valid alternative in small system like island/mountain or remote area, but in broad system, renewables can only exist by being unilaterally dependent and parasitic on traditional energy source.
Nuclear energy is a strong and main option in mid-longer term. The issue in current mainstream nuclear energy tech is that its design philosophy is to be a part of making nuclear weapon for maximum plutonium production, hence not so efficient and safe as a power plant, discharging long lasting radioactive waste (still, yea, coal plant, that is one of main future energy option, releases more radioactives than nuclear plant, and the absolute amount itself of waste in general that nuclear plant produces is alot less than that of coal plant). New 4th gen reactors are supposed to address those issues, setting efficiency and safety at the core. Well, still with many unknowns and uncertainties of course.
Nuclear plants have to be built in rural area in order for risk aversion/minimization, but the true issue here is an inequality between countryside and urban. It's more about colonial logic of power and money, that effectively urban people exploit and force it to people in countryside or sth like that, rather than logic and rationale.
Yet materials for nuclear energy is finite as well. Also nuclear fusion wont come in near future. Ultimately we might want to pursue 100% reliance on solar source, as the Sun is the only finite resource practically, but main problem of electric is that it is very difficult to store. Breakthrough in storage/battery technology is essential, and possibly that's where Formula E can be relevant.
Edited by muramasa, 16 July 2013 - 12:04.