For those who want cheap electricity and a competitive economy the answer isn’t in hanging on to fossil fuel technology but harnessing the free sun and wind, says David Freeman one of country’s eco-pioneers.
“We’ve built a better mouse trap, solar and wind on a life-cycle basis, which is the only way you should measure are cheaper than fossil fuels or nuclear,” said Freeman.
Freeman, now 88, was in Denver recently and talked about the energy changes in the four-decade arc of his career.
In 1977, Freeman was appointed chairman of the Tennessee Valley Administration, the federally owned power company that serves seven southeastern states and he was instrumental in stopping the eight large nuclear power plants and introducing energy conservation programs.
Over two decades Freeman served as general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the New York Power Authority and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
“The march of progress in the package of technology – solar, wind storage and efficiency – has greatly exceeded my expectations. It is almost heartbreaking to see a debate that doesn’t reflect the technology,” Freeman said. “Even without the climate issue renewable energy makes sense.”