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New York Times Editorial Board member Robert B. Semple, Jr., takes a long-range look at what he sees as a "propitious" opportunity for "a major shift in the way America uses energy." His nytimes.com "Talking Points" column of October 11 concludes that the stars are aligning to justify his sense that "after a slow start, renewable energy's time may finally have arrived."

It won't be easy, Semple acknowledges, particularly given the need for "a sense of urgency and a great deal of political will."

What's more, "the inertia in the present energy delivery system is staggering. The infrastructure is huge and it has been constructed at great cost."

"Turning things around will not be easy. But turn they must, and soon."

Semple points to the usual litany of forces, ranging from insecure and expensive foreign energy supplies to the strong scientific consensus on climate change. He writes that many scientists urge "making major changes in the way we use energy in the next ten years."

The menu he digests includes energy efficiency ("There is a lot more efficiency to be wrung out of the systems.") to the potential of biofuels, hydrogen-fueled vehicles, solar and wind power. With his focus on renewables, Semple deals only in passing with nuclear, saying "we almost certainly need more and better nuclear plants, since nuclear energy is low-carbon energy." Pointing to costs as the major factor preventing new nuclear plant construction over the past few decades, he writes that "many people, including some environmentalists who once recoiled from the nuclear option," now see it as an essential consideration in light of global warming concerns. His prescription: "a new generation of cheaper, safer and more reliable nuclear plants."

Semple's lengthy essay (4,200 words) provides valuable background on the pros and cons, the opportunities and challenges, with each of the fuel options he explores. It provides useful one-stop background for those wanting a long-term and broad overview of the nation's potential – or is it likely? – energy future, with an emphasis on "future."

Now one can expect Semple to largely return to the newspaper's format limiting his pieces to about one-tenth the length of this Talking Points online piece.

(Editor's Note: Semple is a Juror for the Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment, administered by the Metcalf Institute, publisher of this newsletter.)