A few points on "solar power": (1) hydroelectric power is a form
of solar power just like "wind power", (2) the Sacramento Municipal
Utility District (http://www.smud.org) has made a major commitment to
photovoltaic to suppy peak power - they are installing PV at about $5 to
$6 per watt (about twice the cost of steam, but competitive with other
peak power sources when fuel is factored in), (3) molten salt is being
used in Solar Two (a 10 Megawatt demonstration plant near Barstow, CA) to
solve the energy storage problem.
It's true that renewables account for less than 10% of electric
power generation. However, with utility deregulation here in California
the demand for "clean power" may well grow substantially.
Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Physics Department
California State University, Fullerton
P.O. Box 6866
Fullerton, California 92834-6866