Where Will Our Electricity Come From in 2034?

We're constantly reporting on plans to build mammoth solar, wind, and geothermal installations. But in the end, will our increasing reliance on alternative energy even put a dent in overall power use? That's the question consulting firm Black & Veatch endeavored to answer recently. What the firm found is not all that surprising: the United States' primary source of electricity in 2034 will be natural gas--the least polluting fossil fuel, but a fossil fuel nonetheless.

There is some good...