Monthly Archives: December 2016

Electric Cars and Biofuels switch dependence from foreign oil to domestic water and weather risks

  Figure 1. Energy/Water Nexus Amy Hardberger, Matthew E. Mantell, Michael Webber, Carey W. King, Karl Fennessey [ This Senate hearing covers a lot of ground. I found the most interesting testimony to be the intersection of water and energy, … Continue reading

Posted in Drought, Energy Production, Hydropower, Transportation, Water Infrastructure | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Electric Cars and Biofuels switch dependence from foreign oil to domestic water and weather risks

Current energy security challenges 2009 U.S. Senate hearing

[ Here are a few quotes from this 2009 Senate hearing on “Current energy security challenges”: Eric Schwartz, member, Energy Security Leadership Council: “Air transport, long-haul freight shipping, and heavy-duty trucks are not likely to be candidates for electrification…. Despite … Continue reading

Posted in U.S. Congress Energy Dependence, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , | Comments Off on Current energy security challenges 2009 U.S. Senate hearing

How Much Oil is Left?

The Power of Exponential Growth: Every 10 years we have burned more oil than all previous decades Preface. There is a lot of oil left. The problem is, most of the remaining oil is unconventional, which needs a lot more … Continue reading

Posted in How Much Left, Oil, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

U.S. House meeting on terrorist threats to energy security

[ Even though this hearing was over a decade ago, the issues are still the same.  Nothing has changed. Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation, 2015, Springer] House 109-70. July 27, … Continue reading

Posted in Caused by Scarce Resources, Chokepoints, Middle East, Oil Shocks, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. House meeting on terrorist threats to energy security

The dangers and costs of importing Liquefied natural gas (LNG). U.S. Senate Hearing 2005.

                      [ Before fracked (tight) natural gas came along, natural gas prices spiked sky-high and the U.S. Congress began looking at how new LNG import terminal construction could be expedited, … Continue reading

Posted in LNG Liquified Natural Gas, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The dangers and costs of importing Liquefied natural gas (LNG). U.S. Senate Hearing 2005.

The Back to the Land Movement: why it failed and why we need to try again

[ This is my book review of “Back from the Land: how young Americans went to nature in the 1970s, and why they came back”.   Some succeeded, but most failed, and there are lessons to be learned from the previous … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Books | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Back to the Land Movement: why it failed and why we need to try again

Energy Security: Historical perspectives and Modern challenges. Senate hearing 2009

[ In this hearing former President Carter was brought in by the Senate to help them cope with the energy crisis.  Carter said that no one but the President can educate the public about the energy crisis and  “explain to … Continue reading

Posted in Expert Advice, President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Congress Energy Dependence, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Energy Security: Historical perspectives and Modern challenges. Senate hearing 2009

House hearing on Canadian oil sands

House 112-128. March 20, 2012. The American Energy Initiative Part 17: A focus on the future of energy technology with an emphasis on Canadian oil sands. U.S. House of Representatives. [ Excerpts from the 203 page transcript ] President Obama … Continue reading

Posted in Tar Sands (Oil Sands), U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on House hearing on Canadian oil sands

Electrifying freight trains in the U.S. is a really bad idea

Preface. Diesel-electric locomotives are ALREADY electric, and more energy efficient than electric freight trains. Diesel-electric freight is very efficient and moves 4 times more tons per mile than trucks because they hardly ever accelerate, stop, start, or travel over 40 … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Grid, Electrification, Railroads | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Electrifying freight trains in the U.S. is a really bad idea

How is California’s AB2514 experiment with utility scale battery storage coming along?

[ This is an excellent article by Tod Kiefer about tests of sodium-sulfur batteries, which are the only kind of battery for which there is enough material on earth to make. Battery electric storage is meant to “replace nimble, fast-ramping … Continue reading

Posted in Batteries, Battery - Utility Scale, Electricity Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment