Diesels will continue to be the workhorse of the medium to heavy-duty engine market for the foreseeable future. However, they can not compete with gas engines for light-duty (pickups included) applications:
-The specific power of a diesel can not compete with gas engines, and this is far more important in the light-duty market than torque alone.
-The added cost is too high for the US market
-Emissions are still problematic compared to gas
-Gasoline direct injection (GDI) offers the benefits of gas with the fuel economy of a diesel in a lower cost, higher specific power package.
-Unless the diesel industry can seamlessly integrate HCCI and keep costs down they can not compete with GDI in the light duty market.
Hydroelectric is one source…One other source that’s just now being tapped is Wave generators. The concept is to have a generator sitting in a lake (or ocean)…and attached to it above is a buoy that as it goes up and down with the waves…it turns the generator…Simple concept that actually works.
I’ve been reading about these lately. This technology looks like a real possibility.
“I don;t have the figuress, but I’d bet that retrofitting coal plants to burn natural gas is far, far cheaper than building nuclear power plants.”
Yes, but it costs so much that it makes more sense to build a new gas-fired plant. Still, an advantage of a natural gas plant is that it can be started and stopped very quickly. In combination with wind farms or solar farms, it would make a lot of sense; maybe worth building new ones.
“Hydroelectric.”
It’s less than 10% of total power production and is mature. There is very little to be gained in hydroelectric power in the US.