Radiation

Apparently they have already developed batteries that run off of radioactive materials, but we still have a huge amount of radioactive waste to dispose of. Currently a disposal site is being developed in nevada/utah to hold the material. The ground around it is supposed to heat up to 140-150 degrees over the next few decades and retain that temperature for the next few thousand years, minimum.

With NASA's new technological breakthrough's in the Stirling Engine, a closed one, sitting right on the site would be capable of producing electricity for decades (centuries) with no maintenance required, (a desirable trait in that environment). By creating a large array of these engines, sufficient power could be created to run at least a portion of our current demands, at minimal cost. With the decrease in cost attributed to large scale production, these units could also be installed over geologically active hot spots for a small investement cost.

If adequate shielding were developed, smaller powerplants would be feasible for remote locations. All a stirling engine needs is a heat source, and with large quantities of radioactive waste available, all that is required is a safe means of translating that heat to power.

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/tmsb/stirling.html

yell at your government representatives to make this a priority.

mak