Category Archives: Energy

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

Nuclear power in the U.S. is dead, reactors shutting down – not built

Posted on August 6, 2017 by

Preface. This article focuses on reactors being shut down, other posts discuss why they’re not being constructed, despite the intense and well funded efforts of the nuclear lobby.  Since this article was published in 2013, 12 of the 37 at … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Power Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How reasonable are oil production scenarios from public agencies?

Posted on July 31, 2017 by

So far both the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and International Energy Agency (IEA) are on target in their predictions. In 2014 (the last year for which there is data), world production of crude oil and lease condensate was 77.833 … Continue reading →

Posted in How Much Left, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How reasonable are oil production scenarios from public agencies?

No, we’re not going to make ethanol out of CO2 and stop global warming

Posted on July 26, 2017 by

Preface.  In the article below Robert Rapier debunks the research paper proposing to convert CO2 into ethanol.  The researchers were honest and said “that the process is unlikely to be economically viable.” But the press spun it into a major … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass EROI, Critical Thinking, Far Out, Other Experts | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Richard Heinberg: Will the US really be a major energy exporter?

Posted on July 23, 2017 by

[ I read this the day it was published (January 16, 2017) at resilience.org here, but thought it would be interesting to post in the future to see if the EIA predictions were as optimistic as Heinberg and Hughes thought … Continue reading →

Posted in How Much Left, Natural Gas, Oil & Gas Fracked, Richard Heinberg | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Wind and solar need natural gas to balance intermittent, variable, and seasonal power

Posted on July 8, 2017 by

Preface. The highest wind states are getting more and more dependent on natural gas to balance wind and solar as they live and die. Yet conventional natural gas in the U.S. has peaked (half of our national gas, and declining … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas, Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Wind and solar need natural gas to balance intermittent, variable, and seasonal power

The effects of Middle East events on U.S. Energy markets

Posted on July 2, 2017 by

[ Of note from this U.S. House 2011 hearing: John Hofmeister, former President of Shell Oil.  Matt Simmons, who passed away this past summer, used to speak of the Straits of Hormuz as, we live one day away from an … Continue reading →

Posted in Chokepoints, Threats to oil supply, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged | Comments Off on The effects of Middle East events on U.S. Energy markets

Minerals: Natural gas from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Posted on June 29, 2017 by

Preface. This is just a small sampling of what Bardi thinks might happen post fossil fuels, mostly shortened and reworded. Here are 7 other posts from this great book: Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction Ugo Bardi predictions of the future Minerals … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Oil & Gas Fracked | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Anyone who whines about airplanes should have to take the Oregon Trail

Posted on June 20, 2017 by

Source: Book cover of “Oregon Or Bust: True Short Stories from the Descendants of Oregon Trail Pioneers, Prospectors, Trappers, and Settlers in the Great Northwest Hardcover” by Gentry Ward Cutsforth (2012), XLibris. Preface. Also listen to the Louis CK rant … Continue reading →

Posted in Airplanes, Lithium-ion, Transportation What To Do | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

California hits the solar wall

Posted on June 17, 2017 by

[ What is a solar wall?  Read part 1: California could hit the solar wall and then excerpts from the following article in the financial times, Britain’s Wall street journal.  I’ve also reworded some of it. Renewables are rendering existing … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas, Solar | Tagged , , | 3 Comments