This article gives me some hope.

A bit more: "Enough total solar energy shines on the earth during a 40-minute period of time to power the entire world economy for a year. We only need to harness a tiny portion of this sunshine to make a huge difference in the world: environmentally, politically and economically."

The US oil-greedy profiteers will sabatage this -- unless they can figure a way to create a monopoly on the sun.

Well, kk, I'm sorry to say that I share your cynicism. The author states that building solar plants, transmission lines to deliver the power and buying up the land for the equipment to be placed still needs to be done. The land grab and contracts for the transmission lines and plants may already be in the works, just not publicized. Yet the hopeful part of me wants to believe that solar power will work out to benefit all people, not just the rich.

I would love to have a house like the one pictured, wouldn't you?!

I've just bought house that's solar driven. The panels cover all the heating and electricity needs for all but the three coldest months of the year, so we're putting up some more panels come spring to cover the last little bit. I am SO looking forward to being off the grid! I'm totally getting into this whole homesteading and self-reliance thing.

On a side note, there's been a sharp increase in solar panel theft. Yes, some people actually crawl up onto the roofs of other people's houses to steal their panels! Then sell them on eBay!! Bolt them down really, really well or get a big watchdog. I'm opting for both.