Author Archives: energyskeptic

Thorium in the news

[ When trucks stop running, civilization as we know it ends.  Nuclear electricity — or anything that generates electricity — doesn’t matter a rat’s ass if trucks can’t be electrified to run on batteries or overhead wires — especially tractors … Continue reading

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Out of time: 50 years to make a transition, 210 years at the current rate

If transportation is to be electrified, then electric generation and the electric grid must be doubled, or even tripled. So by Cobb’s calculation, that would push back the transition time to renewables 420 to 630 years.  Alice Friedemann. By Kurt … Continue reading

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Why You Should Love Trucks

source: bitsandpieces1.blogspot.com Preface. Before the age of fossil fuels, getting food, water, and shelter was simple. Nine out of ten people were self-sufficient farmers. But now there are global 24/7 just-in-time supply chains that depend on trucks and other modes … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture Infrastructure, Supply Chains, Transportation Infrastructure, Trucks | 4 Comments

Two-thirds of coal to power sector delivered by railroads

June 11, 2014  U.S. Energy Information Administration www.eia.gov Railroad deliveries continue to provide the majority of coal shipments to the power sector Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-923, Power Plant Operations Report Note: Sum of components may not equal … Continue reading

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Fuel economy improvements show diminishing returns in fuel savings

This means it’s unlikely we’ll turn over the vehicle fleet fast enough to make a difference in fuel consumption.  Which wouldn’t have happened anyhow due to Jevon’s paradox. July 11, 2014 Fuel economy improvements show diminishing returns in fuel savings … Continue reading

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EIA definition of Proved Reserves and Resources

July 17, 2014 Oil and natural gas resource categories reflect varying degrees of certainty Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Note: Resource categories are not drawn to scale relative to the actual size of each resource category. The graphic shown above … Continue reading

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Signs of Peakiness, oil companies are running out of cash

Andrew Nikiforuk, August 29, 2014. A big summer story you missed: Soaring oil debt. The Tyee.  Over 100 of the world’s largest energy companies are running out of cash. Photo of Keystone pipeline in Nebraska by Shannon Ramos. Creative Commons … Continue reading

Posted in Debt, Energy Markets, Peak Oil | 1 Comment

Navy claims that fuel can be made from seawater

It must take more energy to break the bonds of water, extract CO2, and recombine into usable fuel than you will ever get out of fuel so produced.  We’ve known for a long time how to split hydrogen from water. … Continue reading

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Revolutionary understanding of phsics needed to improve batteries – don’t hold your breath

What this Department of Energy document shows is that we can’t make the necessary REVOLUTIONARY breakthroughs to electrify cars until we understand the physics of batteries, and points out that “battery technology has not changed substantially in nearly 200 years.” … Continue reading

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United States Energy: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

United States Energy Information Administration FAQ Coal Does EIA have county-level energy production data? Does EIA have projections for energy production, consumption, and prices for individual states? Does EIA publish coking coal prices? From what country does the U.S. import … Continue reading

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