Category Archives: Energy

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

Ohio run-of-the-river hydroelectric power 4 projects totaling 300 MW for $1.7 billion

[There are limited places on rivers to put these so this a really tiny silver bullet, and there is often opposition from environmentalists, but if you’re lucky enough to have a river nearby that flows constantly it’s more reliable than … Continue reading

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Former President Carter on U.S. energy security & policy now and in the past

                    [Former President Carter and General Wald both say the American public need to be better informed about the energy crisis to motivate them to stop buying gas-guzzling vehicles, since that’s … Continue reading

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Renewable subsidies in Spain, Germany, Italy, and the UK

HRG. 113-623. 2014-7-22. U.S. Security implications of international energy and climate policies and issues. U.S. Senate 113th congress  MARY HUTZLER, Distinguished senior fellow, Institute for Energy Research, Berlin, MD RENEWABLE SUBSIDIES IN EUROPE Spain (Also see Spain’s Photovoltaic Revolution) In … Continue reading

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Drinking the Kool-Aid. The U.S. Senate believes we are energy independent.

[Some of the interesting parts of this session are $95 billion dollars of new manufacturing, transport, & utilities that are growing to take advantage of the cheap NG here, which will exponentially increase the use of energy. Even if we … Continue reading

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Peak oil sands, low EROI, high debt, limited pipeline and refinery capacity

Peak tar sands, a.k.a. oil sands Techno-opmtimists claim that technology will enable nasty, sour, gunky, expensive, difficult unconventional oil to fill in the gap of declining conventional oil. Conventional oil is declining too quickly for unconventional to match But that’s … Continue reading

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Implications of declining EROI on oil production 2013 by David J. Murphy

[ To “see” declining EROI and the end of cheap energy, check out these photos of The Tallest structure ever moved by Mankind, a Norwegian natural gas offshore platform ] Murphy, David J. December 2, 2013. The implications of the … Continue reading

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Net Energy Cliff, Other Experts | 1 Comment

The electric grid, critical interdependencies, vulnerabilities: U.S. House hearing 2003

[ Related articles: Russian hackers suspected in attack that blacked out parts of Ukraine How the weapon works (pdf): CRASHOVERRIDE Analyzing the Threat to Electric Grid Operations The EMP Commission estimates a nationwide blackout lasting one year could kill up … Continue reading

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Admiral Rickover 1957: Energy Resources & Our Future

Preface. I’ve shortened and reworded this speech. All of Admiral Rickover’s speech is prescient and important, a few paragraphs: “We live in what historians may some day call the Fossil Fuel Age. Today coal, oil, and natural gas supply 93% … Continue reading

Posted in An Overview, By People, Dependence on Oil, Energy Slaves, Limits To Growth, Military, Nuclear Waste, Other Experts, Overpopulation, Overshoot, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Biofuel distribution wastes valuable diesel fuel

Biofuels can’t use the existing refined petroleum distribution pipeline system, by far the cheapest way to move fuel — 17.5 times cheaper than truck, 5 times less than rail, 2.25 times less than barge, on average (Curley), so delivery of … Continue reading

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Oil Infrastructure – pipelines, refineries, terminals

Sider, A. and Friedman, N. November 2, 2016. More than half of U.S. Pipelines are at least 46 years old. Building new systems has become harder amid opposition from landowners and environmental groups. Wall Street Journal. More than 60% of … Continue reading

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