The United States is at the forefront of a new Industrial Revolution. With that new opportunities to prosper appear every day. The leading edge of this is the renewable energy sector which might possibly be the single most influential portion of our economic future. We are on the cusp of a new age. Not since the 1960s has there been such a competitive climate in technology and development of resources. We have already lead the way for decades but have let other nations begin to catch up.
Our nation has used and developed Hydro-electricity for ages and it is one of the most overlooked alternative energy sectors in our nation. When we discuss alternative energy most people think solar or wind but there are so many more. With that there are exponential opportunities for growth in our nation’s work force and in our ability to export products to other countries. Jacob William writes that According to a 2007 Study from the University of Tennessee, the state of Pennsylvania could generate about 44,000 new jobs and increase net farm income by $460 million by adopting renewable energy. He goes on to say that “Germany is a major net importer of power. As per estimations the country could be using only renewable energy by 2050. That could help it save billions of dollars as it would not need to import energy.” That Job forecast was from 10 years ago and with other countries like Germany actively pursuing means to become energy independent the only logical argument is that growth will only continue. The renewable energy revolution will lead to continued job growth and reduce total dependence on outside energy providers. This will mean that for our nation to continue to prosper we will have to lead the way much like we did with the race to the moon during the Apollo space missions.
Over the next 30 years, two thirds of new energy will be from renewable sources. (Mathuros 2016) Mathuros also quotes Faith Birol, the Executive Director of The International Energy Agency, saying, “Clean energy now accounts for more than half of all new energy supply.” The second quote really drives home the point that we will only continue to see growth in this sector which will lead to less dependence on fossil fuels. It is imperative for us to focus on developing and leading the way in new technologies revolving around renewable energy if we are to maintain a position as an economic leader. We can ill afford to fall behind and let another world leader become the prominent developer of clean renewable energy technology. If we fail to do so we will lose our seat at the head of the table when it comes down to which nations are super powers on our globe.
Nearly 1 million Americans are working near or full-time in the energy efficiency, solar, wind, and alternative vehicles sectors. This is almost five times the current employment in the fossil fuel electric industry, which includes coal, gas, and oil workers. (Ettenson 2017) At the current rate of growth alternative energy will be the leading factor in an economic renaissance for our nation. It will be our future generation’s space race.
The development and implementation of resources is one thing but, what about distribution. This is an area where we could exploit our ingenuity and corner the world market. All countries are working on the next best latest and greatest resource for clean renewable energy. The key to winning this race isn’t as much in the resources as in how to efficiently distribute the energy. Solar energy farms have been used and improved for decades and so have wind farms. The difficult part is storing and using the energy developed efficiently. If done properly we will see an economic boom not only because of the job sector but because of an overall reduction in cost to the individual user. If we lead the way in grid development then foreign partners would become dependent on our technology the way many are dependent on fossil fuels now. Take for instance Germany as previously mentioned. They may develop clean energy but will somehow have to figure out a way to efficiently distribute that energy to their grids.
To maintain the prosperity of our nation we must lead the world in the development of renewable energy. Relying on the current status quo and use of fossil fuels will leave us in the stone age while the rest of the world moves on to the bronze age. It is our opportunity and the proverbial fruit is ripe for the taking if only we concentrate our efforts and develop technologies and consumables directly related to alternative energy. We already have one of the world’s leading producers in electric vehicles in Tesla. They are also revolutionizing mass transportation at the same time. Tesla is the perfect example of what we in the U.S. should concentrate on for us to be a global economic leader in the coming decades. With continued development and commitment to clean renewable energy, we will be positioned to leverage our development against the needs of other nations. This will lead to all manner of advantages from defense development to in home devices. If companies like Lockheed and Boeing were to develop aircraft that used alternative energy methods for their power just imagine the nations that would clamor to them for the products. Therefore, the development of alternative energy is a requirement for the continued prosperity of America. Lead, follow, or get left behind, it is up to us.
Below are 5 of the top picks for Lithium mining for current and future investment currently available on the open market.
FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC), Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM), Orocobre (NASDAQOTH:OROCF), and Lithium Americas (NASDAQOTH:LACDF)
I am not a financial advisor or licensed and bonded. This writing and recommendations are solely based on my opinion based on available information.
References
William, J. (2017, February 22). Renewable Resources: The Impact of Green Energy on the Economy. In www.business.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017, from https://www.business.com/articles/the-impact-of-green-energy-on-the-economy/
Mathuros, F. (2016, January 20). The Fourth Industrial Revolution Will Be Driven by Renewable Energy. In www.weforum.org. Retrieved October 1, 2017, from https://www.weforum.org/press/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-will-be-driven-by-renewable-energy/
Ettenson, L. (2017, February 1). U.S. Clean Energy Jobs Surpass Fossil Fuel Employment. In www.NRDC.org. Retrieved October 1, 2017, from https://www.nrdc.org/experts/lara-ettenson/us-clean-energy-jobs-surpass-fossil-fuel-employment