DR. WALLACE: Is there a chance we would run out of electricity with everyone driving all the electric cars on the roads these days? And what happens when 90% to 100% of cars are electric? Then we would have to generate a lot more electric power than we have right now, correct?

I'm a teenager just learning to drive and now I'm thinking about how long it will be until we have enough electricity to charge up all the electric cars we expect to see in the future. This makes me worried because I have already heard that our power grids sometimes get overloaded, and in my area, we have already experienced "rolling blackouts."

Does this mean we are doomed to have a lot of cars that won't be able to go anywhere? — Thinking Ahead, via email

THINKING AHEAD: In your lifetime, you're likely to see some very big changes regarding vehicles, public transportation and our nation's electricity grids.

For now, electric vehicles are only a small minority of vehicles on our public roadways. Their percentage is very likely to rise gradually over time, but of course the infrastructure needed to support them will also have to be in place as well.

Beyond just the necessary expansion of our electric grids, there will need to be a suitable volume of charging stations in place to support battery recharging "fuel" so that drivers can plan to travel to their preferred destinations reliably and comfortably.

I feel the next stage we are likely to see is an expansion of hybrid automobile purchases so that consumers can use both gasoline and batteries as conditions warrant.

Your overall point is a valid one, and there's no doubt that our leaders are making plans to expand our nation's electricity capacity even if the overall adoption of electric vehicles is more gradual than most people presently think.

WE'RE QUITE IDENTICAL EXCEPT IN THIS DEPARTMENT

DR. WALLACE: I have an identical twin brother, and we're both going to turn 17 in early March. We both think alike and have similar personalities, but there is one huge difference I've noticed between us.

Even though we are both excellent athletes and each play the same sports at our school, my brother does not take advantage of many opportunities to go out on dates! I've been dating since we turned 16 and were allowed by our parents to do so. But my brother has not yet been on a single date! I can't tell you how many times I've offered to set him up on a "double date" with two other girls (one who is dating me and the other who asked me to invite my brother).

But he has always turned me down, without giving me any reason. I think he reads a lot more that I do, and I know he's crazy about getting into some of the colleges he says that he has on his shortlist.

I'm also interested in going to a decent college, but I sure want to enjoy a nice social life while I'm still in high school. We're both very popular teammates on all of our sports teams, and we are also popular with a lot of mutual friends on our high school campus.

How can I get my twin to go out on this first date? I'm afraid he'll miss out entirely during his high school years. — His Puzzled Twin, via email

HIS PUZZLED TWIN: Even though you are identical twins, you're each a unique individual in terms of your thinking, experiences, goals and desires.

My advice would be to not push him in this regard. He already knows you are willing to make introductions for him should he wish to obtain any from you. And when he's ready to go out on a date, my guess is he'll set it up on his own without your help.

For now, he appears to me to be focused on his academics and his sports performances. He's likely studying hard in an effort to be accepted to a university he's very interested in attending.

Give him space and enjoy all of the other benefits having a close twin affords you. Let him run his own race here. He'll call on you if and when he decides to, so stop pushing him entirely at this point.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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