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Last week the price of gasoline inched up again – by a nickel. We awoke to the news that China is now the largest energy consumer in the world, eclipsing the U.S. Interest is increasing in alternative energy to power automobiles. General Motors is proposing to produce an all-electric vehicle, following in the footsteps of other manufacturers.

Electricity appears to promise a clean solution. But as we contemplate the shift from petroleum-based automobiles to those based on electric propulsion, the big question is: Where will all this electricity come from?

The desire for alternative-powered transportation appears to be headed for conflict with developing sources of energy.

Whereas wind energy has potential, the blight on the landscape is beginning to be felt and voiced by more people. The grand vistas of Eastern Oregon and Washington are now populated by a forest of spinning toothpicks. Covering a desert with mirrors to produce solar energy is not a solution.

These alternative sources of energy are decentralized sources, small energy generators scattered throughout the countryside. It is like the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, when there was no centralized source of energy, and water mills provided the energy for the budding economy.

Experts have suggested rudimentary arithmetic indicates that there’s not enough solar, wind or wave energy to provide the energy that is now provided by carbon-based fuels. In addition, wind, wave and solar energy need to be balanced by other sources when the wind drops, the sun sets, and the seas calm. Decentralizing the production of electricity greatly complicates the collection system, decreasing its reliability and increasing the risk of failure.

Centralized energy production facilities are part of the long-term solution. Centralizing production of energy in “energy production islands” allows a transfer of technology and operating principles to increase the efficiency and safety of our generation capability. However, as these facilities increase in size, the energy consumer will have to come face to face with the NIMBYs.

Siting energy facilities has always been a complex process. But as the city of Portland and others embark on an electric automobile strategy with the construction of charging stations, they must also support new generation capacity. Those who are advocating alternative-powered transportation need to take a hand in the corresponding energy source development.

The consumption of energy is much like the consumption of food. We like the plastic-wrapped pork chop, bag of chips or steak, but we have not spent a lot of time understanding how it gets to the grocery store.

Christian Steinbrecher is the president of Ukiah Engineering Inc. and a senior consultant at Capital Project Consultants. Contact him at [email protected].