Original post HM using funhouse mirrors . wait a second <| sep |> What don ' t you guys understand ? He CANNOT start by just powering all of the US with solar panels . You do not learn to run before you can walk . You start off powering small islands with low populations then you can move through the ranks , improving with every step , to the point that you may possibly one day be able to power medium sized countries . Of course the entire world cannot be powered solely on solar power . But we can use this to supplement as much power as possible , I believe that solar , hydro , and wind can do a major part in reducing our use of fossil fuels . I don ' t feel that this island is Musk showing off , I think of it as an exercise in execution of solar energy . Edit Musk Tesla