AS THE US Congress contemplates digging up oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska, a study claims that one of the least developed renewable energy technologies, photovoltaic solar cells, is likely to contribute between 8 and 15 times as much electrical energy as the oil from the Arctic reserves ever will.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, oil production rates from the ANWR are likely to peak in 2034, at 270 million barrels per year. The reserves are expected to run out by about 2070. In a study due to be published in Energy Policy,…
