Alternative Energy: Why haven't we switched over already?

Taylor and I decided to research on alternative energy. We keep seeing this key word in most environmental centered readings we have, they are shown to be the solution. Time and time again we keep seeing these technologies are available e.g, solar panels, wind turbines, hybrid cars etc. So why haven't we switched over yet?

If you all remember, at a class discussion hosted by Dr. David Benac, he had made a point about leap frogging technology in the developing world. Obviously the development of developing countries is of great interest to me. So, the first source I read tackles whether developing countries can skip the centralized electrification system and why it is so difficult for developed countries to do that.

William in Malawi builds turbines for villages

So first, leap frogging is just the ability for societies to advance to newer technology without using the infrastructure of its predecessor. For example, the use of cellphones in developed countries without using the landline infrastructure first. Can this approach be used for electricity as well? The issue in developing countries which I have also experienced in Uganda, is shortages and it is not because the technology to generate electricity doesn't exist but the distribution systems are not as efficient. This is because in most developing countries the cities and rural areas are vastly different and far. Suburbs exist but there is also isolated homes and isolated suburbs people distribute themselves all over. This makes it hard to create efficient grid technologies that are able to reach everyone.

Therefore these developing countries find themselves investing a lot of resources in grid expansion and still have a large amount of the population without electricity. While, the introduction of solar panels which can work for individual homes are easily installed and applies, because the grid infrastructure is not too efficient it is easy to override and leapfrog to new technology. While in developed countries since there has been so much investment into the current grid, and most homes are connected in each grid it makes it difficult to apply these new technologies to a grid.

Another interesting fact I read is that the United Nations has an initiative that was  introduced in 2012, with the aim to provide universal access to modern energy services by 2030. Which I didn't know about.

Still have lot of research to do, but so far the topic seems interesting.