Category Archives: Alternative Energy

Challenges & opportunities for alternative transportation fuels and vehicles. U.S. House hearing, 2011

Posted on June 10, 2018 by

Preface. Congress is aware that an energy crisis looms, though they seldom acknowledge or deal with it.  Here are a few excerpts from this U.S. House hearing (2011) The American energy initiative part 6: Challenges & opportunities for alternative transportation … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, U.S. Congress Energy Policy, U.S. Congress Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Challenges & opportunities for alternative transportation fuels and vehicles. U.S. House hearing, 2011

Power density of biomass, wind, & solar take too much land to replace fossil fuels

Posted on May 7, 2018 by

Volumetric versus specific energy density for selected energy carriers. Source: Palmer, G. 2020. Energy storage & civilization: a systems approach. Springer. Preface. Vaclav Smil writes “The fact that wind, solar, and biomass have incredibly low energy density per square meter … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Biomass, Coal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Oil | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why it is futile to think that Wind could ever make a significant contribution to energy supplies

Posted on April 8, 2018 by

Matt Ridley. May 15, 2017. Wind turbines are neither clean nor green and they provide zero global energy. Even after 30 years of huge subsidies, it provides about zero energy. The Spectator. The Global Wind Energy Council recently released its … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Wind | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Why it is futile to think that Wind could ever make a significant contribution to energy supplies

Peak soil: Industrial agriculture destroys ecosystems and civilizations: Biofuels make it worse

Posted on August 31, 2017 by

Preface. In 2018 I thought it was time to reorganize this post, as it grew more and more bloated and disorganized with new information. Eventually it turned into my 2021 book Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Biomass, Energy, Peak Biofuels, Peak Topsoil, Soil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

21 scientists explain why Jacobson’s renewable schemes are a delusional fantasy

Posted on June 24, 2017 by

Preface. Seldom have I seen such a vitriolic fight among scientists.  Though I think Clack and the other 20 scientists (2017) miss the main problems with trying to create a 100% renewable energy system(Friedemann 2015c). Many authors have been writing … Continue reading →

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING, Alternative Energy, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, Electricity Infrastructure, Infrastructure & Fast Crash | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Federal government subsidies, tax breaks, costs of renewable and fossil energy production GAO 2014

Posted on May 30, 2017 by

[ I’m far more interested in the energy returned on invested than money since that’s what really matters.  So I often stopped taking notes, and didn’t organize them. But the tables and figures give you an idea of subsidies and … Continue reading →

Posted in GAO Government Accountability Office, Subsidies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Alternative Energy Booklist: Biofuels, Batteries, Solar, Wind, Nuclear, Hydropower, Hydrogen, Fusion, Geothermal, Wind & tidal, Muscle power, Far out

Posted on February 4, 2017 by

Why Alternative Energy can’t replace fossil fuels More booklists Alice Friedemann  www.energyskeptic.com  Author of Life After Fossil Fuels: A Reality Check on Alternative Energy; When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, Barriers to Making Algal Biofuels, & … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Book List | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why Nuclear Power can’t replace fossil fuels

Posted on January 15, 2017 by

Last updated August 2022. Preface. Economic reasons are the main hurdle to new nuclear plants now, with capital costs so high it’s almost impossible to get a loan, especially when natural gas is so much cheaper and less risky. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Energy, Nuclear Power Energy, Renewable Integration | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Alternative fuels to replace transportation oil. U.S. House hearing 2012

Posted on February 22, 2016 by

House 112–159. July 10, 2012. The American energy initiative part 23: A focus on Alternative Fuels and vehicles. House of Representatives. [ Excerpts from this 210 page transcript follow ] MIKE BREEN, Vice President of the Truman National Security Project.   … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Natural Gas Vehicles, Transportation, U.S. Congress Transportation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Alternative fuels to replace transportation oil. U.S. House hearing 2012

Tilting at Windmills, Spain’s disastrous attempt to replace fossil fuels with Solar PV, Part 1

Posted on October 31, 2015 by

Book review by Alice Friedemann at energyskeptic of “Spain’s Photovoltaic Revolution. The Energy Return on Investment”, by Pedro Prieto and Charles A.S. Hall. 2013. Springer. Conclusion: the EROI of solar photovoltaic is only 2.45, very low despite Spain’s ideal sunny … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Charles A. S. Hall, Debt, Electric Grid, Energy Books, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Pedro Prieto, Photovoltaic Solar, Solar, Solar EROI | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments