Category Archives: Energy

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

Bill Gates Gen IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) in Wyoming

Source: Japan abandons Monju fast reactor: the slow death of a nuclear dream. The Ecologist. ‘Fast breeder’ reactors are promoted by nuclear enthusiasts as the clean, green energy technology of the future. But all the evidence tells us they are … Continue reading

Posted in Gen IV SMR reactors | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Bill Gates Gen IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) in Wyoming

Want to survive Peak Everything? Become a Mormon

Source: Salt Lake Tribune. For Latter-day Saint families, preparing for emergencies is the norm Preface.  Ted Koppel’s book “Lights Out” highlights the many risks to the grid from cyber and physical attacks, electromagnetic pulses from weapons or solar flares, large … Continue reading

Posted in Blackouts, Electric Grid & Fast Collapse, EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Books, Where to Be or Not to Be | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Why tight fracked oil and gas is mostly extracted in the US

Source: Smithsonian. May 2013 map of shale oil and gas formation. fource U.S. EIA & USGS. Preface.  Unconventional US (and some Canadian) fracked tight oil was over 90% of how oil production increased after conventional oil peaked in 2008, but … Continue reading

Posted in Oil & Gas Fracked | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why tight fracked oil and gas is mostly extracted in the US

Fusion: Book review of “Sun in a Bottle”

Preface. I don’t know of a book or article that better explains fusion and why fusion is so difficult and far from being commercial. Or ever commercial for that matter. Except for hydrogen bombs.

Posted in Fusion, Nuclear Books, Nuclear Waste | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fusion: Book review of “Sun in a Bottle”

EV charging not possible when restricted or grid down

Preface.  I have many posts at energyskeptic on the myriad reasons the grid will fail or disrupted in the future. Climate change is causing droughts and reservoirs too low to generate much hydropower, and nuclear plants must shut down if … Continue reading

Posted in Electric Vehicles, Electrification, Energy Climate Change | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on EV charging not possible when restricted or grid down

Fusion at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Source: The target chamber of LLNL’s National Ignition Facility, where 192 laser beams delivered more than 2 million joules of ultraviolet energy to a tiny fuel pellet to create fusion ignition. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Preface. Anyone who thought the … Continue reading

Posted in Fusion, Nuclear War | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fusion at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Fusion: Tokamak Obstacles

Source: Sparkes M (2022) Korean nuclear fusion reactor achieves 100 million°C for 30 seconds. New Scientist. Preface. Hope springs eternally for Fusion.  I’ve come to see press releases about fusion breakthroughs as mostly a way to get more startup investment … Continue reading

Posted in Fusion, Robert Hirsch | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Opposition to mining will prevent a green transition to renewables

Source: Bare (2012) Environmentalists win review of two more plants near Rosemont copper mine. Arizona Capitol times. I could overwhelm you with world-wide trillions of tons of mining waste and how China has rendered 20% of its farmland too toxic … Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy, An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Energy Supply Chain, Mining, Peak Copper | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Opposition to mining will prevent a green transition to renewables

The electric grid could be down for years if LPTs destroyed

Large Power Transformer Source: ABB Conversations (2013) Preface. This post contains excerpts from two Department of Energy documents and one about large geomagnetic storms and how they would affect Large power transformers (LPT) and the U.S. electric grid. They are … Continue reading

Posted in An Index of Best Energyskeptic Posts, Electric Grid, Electricity Infrastructure, Infrastructure & Fast Crash, Interdependencies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uranium waste from 50+ sites contaminating groundwater

Preface. One of the top priorities of collapse from energy decline is to clean up nuclear (Superfund and other hazardous) wastes NOW, while we have the energy and technical ability to do so. Future generations will be thrown back into … Continue reading

Posted in Hazardous Waste, Nuclear Waste, Peak Water | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Uranium waste from 50+ sites contaminating groundwater