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American Morning

Why Hasn't There Been More Success in Exploration of Alternative Fuels?

Aired August 24, 2001 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONA GIVENS: Hi, my name is Mona Givens, and my question is, why hasn't there been more success in exploration of alternative fuels?

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN ENVIRONMENTAL CORRESPONDENT: The reason alternative fuels haven't taken off, at least in the United States, it comes down to money. Fossil fuels and traditional fuel sources are just a lot cheaper -- oil, coal, natural gas. The delivery systems are already in place and we're already adapted to using them. So it's always going to be a lot cheaper to use oil, coal or natural gas than it is to use a relatively new technology, like wind or solar power, or geothermal.

ROBERT GILBERG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS, UC BERKELEY: In alternative fuels, we've had a lot of success. The problem is not so much the technology; it's the cost. Most of these alternatives are still expensive, even compared to the high prices of energy that we're facing today.

PAWELSKI: At this point, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass only make up less than 2 percent of our energy uses here in the United States. The most successful renewable source of energy in the U.S. is hydropower, but it has problems of its own, and that's because dams are being blamed for killing fish, salmon and other species.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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