An Interview with Peter Huber: Why 99.9 Percent Is Not Good Enough

In the opening days of 2009, people are looking for the new President Obama to restore domestic and international confidence and help us find our way out of a dark recession. Electric power generation and distribution is a key part of a new direction. Can we produce enough of it to reduce our oil usage? Can electric cars become reliable and cover enough distance on a single charge? Can its availability be increased, especially since critical services in transportation, banking, computing and many other sectors can be shut down by power grid failures? In April 2000, Ubiquity Editor John Gehl spoke with energy expert Peter Huber about these issues. Huber's comments about the needs of the power grid were prophetic. We gladly bring them to you now in the hope that they will help you understand the power challenges ahead. --Peter Denning, Ubiquity Editor