How Can Wind and Solar Provide 60% of Primary Energy by 2050 : Some Basic Calculations

In the optimistic scenario of its 2022 energy outlook, British Petroleum predicts that wind and solar will account for more than 60% of primary energy usage by 2050 and by then would account for essentially all electricity generation. This raises two questions. First, what would be required in the way of land and infrastructure for solar and wind to produce 30% of the final energy consumption for the United States and the world. Second, approximately how much would it cost? This paper presents some basic calculations that address the two questions. The calculations presented here pertain exclusively to energy generation and ignore storage and transmission, which are important, but separate, issues