Solar power and the Sahara desert: The start of something big?

Solar power and the Sahara desert: The start of something big? | The Economist: "If the scheme were implemented in full, it would involve spending €400 billion ($560 billion) at today’s prices, over the next 40 years, building enough solar power stations to satisfy 15% of European demand in 2050—together with most of North Africa’s and Arabia’s—and about 20 trans-Mediterranean HVDC cables which, unlike conventional AC power lines, can transmit power over long distances and through water without significant losses. A bold proposal, then. But not a completely outrageous one. As the old Chinese proverb has it, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step."