Jacobson et al. claim that all electrical generation and consumption in New York State can be converted to Wind, Water, and Solar (WWS) methods by 2030. This claim is based on several supporting claims.
- There exists sufficient wind capacity to generate 50% of NYS electrical energy using both on- and off-shore wind systems.
- There exists sufficient solar capacity to generate 38% of NYS electrical energy using rooftop and concentrated solar systems.
- New construction under this plan will only occupy 2.42% of the land area of NYS.
- By 2015, overall end-use electricity efficiency will increase by 15% in NYS.
- The total energy consumption of NYS will decrease by 37% via implementation of this system.
| Energy technology | Rated power of one plant or device (MW) | Percent of 2030 power demand met by plant/device | Number of plants or devices needed for NYS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onshore wind | 5 | 10 | 4020 |
| Offshore wind | 5 | 40 | 12,700 |
| Wave device | 0.75 | 0.5 | 1910 |
| Geothermal plant | 100 | 5 | 36 |
| Hydroelectric plant | 1300 | 5.5 | 6.6 |
| Tidal turbine | 1 | 1 | 2600 |
| Res. roof PV | 0.005 | 6 | 4.97 million |
| Com/gov roof PV | 0.10 | 12 | 0.497 million |
| Solar PV plant | 50 | 10 | 828 |
| CSP plant | 100 | 10 | 387 |
| Energy technology | Footprint area (percent of NYS land area) | Spacing area (percent of NYS land area |
|---|---|---|
| Onshore wind | 0.000041 | 1.46 |
| Offshore wind | 0.00013 | 4.62 |
| Wave device | 0.00082 | 0.039 |
| Geothermal plant | 0.010 | 0 |
| Hydroelectric plant | 3.50 | 0 |
| Tidal turbine | 0.00061 | 0.0095 |
| Res. roof PV | 0.15 | 0 |
| Com/gov roof PV | 0.30 | 0 |
| Solar PV plant | 0.25 | 0 |
| CSP plant | 0.60 | 0 |
| Total | 4.82 | 6.13 |
| Total new land required | 0.96 | 1.46 |