A very fascinating alternative energy source is in solar energy. The theoretical concepts that are on the drawing board are really mind blowing. Basically the idea is to take a remote portion of the Arizona or Nevada desert and build a huge solar field. The land area required to power California, and most all of the western states, is not all that big, with the advancements that have been made in solar technology. Once a power station of that magnitude is built, you use the next scientific advancement to transmit the power, and that is super conductors. The reason for the use of super conductors is because when power is transmitted over long distances you have a TON of loss in the transmission (there is a lot of loss just in the transmission between a power station and your own home, which is often with in a relatively short distance). With super conductors, you use a substance like liquid nitrogen to cool your transmission lines well below zero (often negative 200-300 degrees). Super cooling conductors, allows electricity to be transmitted with virtually any loss. It's really the next big technological breakthrough this generation will embark upon, I believe.
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The idea of having a "universal" power supply where you have one big power plant that powers a massive area, was actually a concept of the physics mastermind; Nikola Tesla, back in the 1900's. His theory was that you could generate power at such high frequencies that you could have completely wireless transmission, and transmit it over mega distances. That was just one of his many "wild" theoretical concepts.
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Solar has also just EXPLODED with investors across the exchanges. A stock that I picked up near the the IPO in Jan 07; was First Solar (FSLR on the NASDAQ) at around $28 a share. They are based out of (where else but) sunny Phoenix Arizona. They are the real leader in the US in solar development and technology. And have been one of the many solar stocks that have gone insane on the exchanges. FSLR just surpassed $300 a share today. Its P/E (price to earnings)ratio is an insane 121! Many would say that's suicice to own a company with that high of a P/E, but the one thing that ratio shows you is just how MASSIVE the potential growth is in the industry. As a P/E that high is all based on speculated growth, and revenues.
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We live in exciting times. It will be fun to be part of the advancements that will be taking place in the very near future.

Are government bodies asking for escrow dollars to be set aside to remove these towers after their useful lives are over or will taxpayers be stuck to dismantle them in 40 or 50 years?