The Shale-Oil Boom's Dirty SecretThe US produces 7.8 million barrels of oil a day. Of this, the EIA estimates that 29 percent comes from shale oil formations. Production from these wells declines 60-70 percent in the first year alone. To maintain current production, the US needs to drill 6,000 new wells per year at a cost of $35 billion a year.
On the other hand, solar is on pace to produce over 5,300 MW of solar this year --enough to power 885,600 average American households. The average price of solar has also dropped 60% since 2011, and the average cost of a completed PV system is $3.05/W. Most solar electric systems last 30 years and pay for themselves in 4-5 years.
What if we spent $35 billion on solar instead of shale oil wells? The US could produce nearly 11,500 MW of new clean energy every year. We could power over 11.2 million new homes by 2020, and produce 28 percent of all California energy by 2020.
Infographic created by Aven Satre-Meloy
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