Category Archives: Energy

the posts in this category used to be in “Energy in A Nutshell” at my former web site.

Richard Heinberg: Paul Krugman’s Errors and Omissions

Posted on March 2, 2018 by

Preface. This article by Richard Heinberg at Postcarbon refutes a column by Paul Krugmen called “Errors and Emissions Could Fighting Global Warming Be Cheap and Free?” here.  Most of my friends and family think I’m nuts because articles like this … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Richard Heinberg, Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

By 2020 it may be clear to everyone that oil decline has begun

Posted on February 7, 2018 by

Preface. There are two parts to Dittmar’s study. The first one concerns production, based on the most recent years of oil production.  Dittmar found a strong pattern of oil decline after the plateau of 3% a year for five years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Exports decline to ZERO, How Much Left, Peak Oil | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Vaclav Smil on wood

Posted on January 17, 2018 by

[ I’ve extracted bits about wood from Smil’s book about materials below, read the book for the larger context.  Enormous amounts of wood were used in former civilizations with much smaller populations than today, so it’s clear we can’t go … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaclav Smil, Wood | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

China is securing energy resources. A potential threat to Europe and U.S. interests.

Posted on December 11, 2017 by

Preface. China is vastly expanding its fleet of natural gas heavy-duty trucks to 700,000 in 2018 and similar or more amounts after that.  They are building pipelines to Russia and other Central Asian countries to keep the gas coming.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas, U.S. Congress Energy Dependence, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Is Peak Oil dead? Not by a long shot! Remember Ladyfern?

Posted on December 2, 2017 by

Preface. Oil is finite. Period. Don’t be fooled by news stories that peak oil is dead, or we have reached peak demand.  They’re all nonsense. Gail Tverberg at ourfiniteworld.com is especially good at explaining this. Worse yet, what we have … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil & Gas Fracked, Peak Natural Gas | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Overview of the renewable fuel standard, U.S. House hearing 2013

Posted on November 18, 2017 by

House 113-61. June 26, 2013. Overview of the renewable fuel standard: Government perspectives. House of Representatives. [Excerpts from the 104 page transcript follow] Key points: The implicit premise that cellulosic and other advanced biofuels would be available in significant quantities … Continue reading →

Posted in Renewable fuel standard RFS, U.S. Congress Transportation | Comments Off on Overview of the renewable fuel standard, U.S. House hearing 2013

Why is nearly all solar power built where subsidies are the highest?

Posted on October 8, 2017 by

If solar net energy return is as high as some solar advocates claim, why does solar need any subsidies? And not just U.S. subsidies, it’s subsidies on top of subsidies when you add in that we’re buying Chinese government subsidized … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power, Photovoltaic Solar, Solar EROI, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How long will the marriage of fracked oil and tar sands last?

Posted on September 29, 2017 by

[ Below is a post by Art Berman which I found interesting because I’m concerned about whether enough diesel can be made in the future to keep trucks running.  Light tight “fracked” oil is better at making plastics and gasoline … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil & Gas Fracked, Tar Sands (Oil Sands) | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Underground pumped hydro storage is the only technology capable of massive storage for renewable electricity

Posted on September 27, 2017 by

[ Picard concludes that “None of the candidate technologies for massive-scale renewable and sustainable generation of ‘‘green’’ electricity deliver it in a form suitable for high-efficiency storage. None of the prospectively-massive storage modes for transformed electricity is at present well … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Storage, Grid instability, Hydropower, Renewable Integration | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Nate Hagens “Peak Oil” – Why Smart Folks Disagree – Part II

Posted on September 25, 2017 by

[ There’s a great deal of interest in the Hill’s Group report, but Nate Hagens came up with similar results back in 2007 and he explains his ideas far more eloquently.  Although much production of U.S. oil and gas may … Continue reading →

Posted in How Much Left, Nate Hagens | Tagged , | 2 Comments