Will renewable energy exports become a national source of income?

[JamesH]

In the same way that many Arab countries export oil as a source of national income, in the future could those same countries (and others) export solar energy as a source of national income?

Scotland could do the same with wind too.

[LucidEnergy]

Doesn't Iceland already do this with Hydroelectricity?

Otherwise, I think it's certainly possible, especially if the demand is there in Europe.

[allegrif]

[quote author=LucidEnergy link=topic=177.msg407#msg407 date=1448818516]
Doesn't Iceland already do this with Hydroelectricity?

Otherwise, I think it's certainly possible, especially if the demand is there in Europe.
[/quote]
Who do they export to? And how?

[LucidEnergy]

[quote author=allegrif link=topic=177.msg418#msg418 date=1448892164]
Who do they export to? And how?
[/quote]

Oh this was about 10 years ago I heard about this, appears it was just a proposition that never got off the ground. I heard they were planning to build more hydro/geo plants and sell to the european grids, so they can get zero carbon energy without worrying about reliability.

[CuriousGeorge]

Iceland need to go ahead and do this. With the geothermal activity there they're sitting on a goldmine. All it would take would be one (admittedly very large) investment to build the infrastructure, and they could be exporting electricity by the bucket. I mean, how much energy do you think such a region has just sitting underneath it? The answer is almost limitless.