Energy Policy

[Henry V]

It seems that it might be good to have an energy policy related thread here, so here goes.

Check out the article at http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5002#more.

Lots of thought provoking information. I generally agree with the approach advocated by the author. I am curious what others think. There are also a series of energy policy articles on this website that may also be worth discussion.

A fundamental belief for most of the contributors to this site is that oil supply is finite and when considering energy options for the future, that the return on energy must be greater than the energy required to extract it.

[Henry V]

Just saw this article of interest too.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=...-deposits-last

[Eric Johnson]

How long will it take to bring any one of these to market?

The writer encourages manufacturing growth rather than consumer spending. How are we to build a new manufacturing capability without paying for it to consumers? The engineers and trades folks have to be paid. OTOH, if we build this manufacturing capability and don't include consumer growth, who'd going to buy the widgets that are built.

Eric

[Henry V]

Eric,

Wind is here now. Solar is too, as are the first generation of biofuels. These technologies, like internal combustion engines, continue to advance and become more efficient. Along the way there will be winners and losers too.

There will always be a market for energy just like food and other fundamental human needs.

[Eric Johnson]

Biofuels are not here ...without government subsidy. The other choices will all take long lead time projects to install or develop.

My Dept was asked for "shovel ready" projects that will make buildings more energy efficient. I supplied five including one that will cut energy cost by 50% at one facility.They are sorely needed projects and I hope they are funded but they wouldn't yield results for about 2 years at the earliest and there would be a gradual ramp-up of the savings. Full savings from all of them won't be for 5 years. These aren't a stimulus it seems to me.

Eric

[Henry V]

Eric,

I am not sure how this became a discussion about stimulus projects.

Anyway, could you identify an energy industry that exists today that is not subsidized or one that was not even more heavily subsidized by the government at start-up?

Energy efficiency in general makes good long term sense and should be part of any energy policy.

[zeus3925]

Henry;
I read post #2. Uranium is not the only naturally fissionable material. France, India, Finland among others fuel some of their reactors with Thorium. It is at least 4 x as abundant as Uranium. Thorium reactors are much safer than the Uranium/Plutonium. Thorium produces far less high level waste than Uranium reactors and the by-products are not very useful in weapons proliferation.

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/348/

[Henry V]

A good article on an ethanol study at: http://www.startribune.com/local/38839542.html

From what I have seen, the numerous comments on the article are a good entertainment too.

[Henry V]

[Tatyana]

Silicon is too expensive to make solar energy viable w/o subsidies for now. Recently read that using silver as a lining in solar panels can be the next thing to make solar less expensive and keep the efficiency. (http://www.economist.com/science/dis...ry_id=12887225)