All It Takes Is a Billionaire

Musk and Gates can fix Renewable Energy

With all the talk of “redistribution of wealth”, here is an example where two billionaires made all the difference in the world.

It started with a challenge by Australian Mike Cannon Brookes — via tweet — that Mr Musk should deliver 100 MW of electrical storage to transform the failing electrical grid of Australia (60 Minutes Australia, 10.29.17, https://youtu.be/w7BMaG3zyVo). The outcome was an Australian electrical grid whose costs of management was improved by 91% (Startup Division, 4.13.20, https://youtu.be/kYMtqnzEDVg).

Let’s apply that experiment to the US. I would challenge Mr Musk, in a collaboration with Mr Gates, to expand the country-scale transformation to the US, so we can truly meet the sustainable-energy independence, the real freedom, we so richly deserve.

Here is how it might work:

· Mr Musk is interested in storage; let him lead a team to balance the wind/solar conundrum, with significant storage at scale.

· Mr Gates is interested in Nuclear; let him lead a team to build safe Baseline Power at an American scale.

We can challenge them as to who gets there first, like the transcontinental railroad. This is the equivalent of the Australian wager, but on an American panorama. An explosive surge in billionaire money, lying fallow or directed into narrow channels, now directed with laser-like competitive focus, would surely transfix the world. This too would restore the place of an American freedom of will, on the stage of this planet.

Prof Ott, PMP
Professor of Energy, Physics & Technology
For the Community of Community Colleges on Long Island, USA