Solar in the Sahara?

The Sahara Desert covers 3.5 million square miles—an area larger than the 48 contiguous states. And, of course, it is across the Mediterranean Sea from Europe, which uses about 26% of the world's energy (per the Country Profiles at Earthtrends).

So it might seem like a no-brainer: The Sahara is vast, extremely hot, and essentially unpopulated. If it were covered in solar panels, wouldn't it provide clean power to all of Europe, reduce global reliance on fossil fuels, and bring much-needed economic prosperity to Northern Africa?

There are certainly those who expect it to happen. The Desertec Foundation proposes a $572 million initiative which would help create a massive solar energy network in the Sahara.

Unfortunately, implementation would be complicated—and, according to some critics, infeasible. As a recent Reuters dispatch reported, Morocco and Algeria, which must coordinate to make such a project possible, are mired in longstanding disputes. And distribution on this scale would require a multi-billion dollar infrastructure; a model of distributed solar power (e.g. rooftop solar panels) may well prove to be cheaper and more efficient.

While these challenges may be manageable, even the project's most optimistic supporters do not expect that it will power most of Europe. Desertec's backers hope that it will provide 15% of Europe's energy needs by 2050—a signficant percentage, to be sure, but hardly a panacea in a world of increasing global competition for energy.

Why not 60% or 70%? Maybe some of you can help explain that one. Regardless of the reason, it remains questionable whether Europe can service the bulk of its increasing energy demands with any combination of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power. It may be forced to get most of its power from the same old sources (oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear), all of which are extremely problematic.