Category Archives: Energy

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

Rare Earth updates: recent research on why complex & intelligent life are rare in the Universe

Posted on March 15, 2024 by

Preface. These are updates to Ward & Brownlee’s book “Rare Earth: Why Complex life is Uncommon in the Universe”. If we are one of the few planets with intelligent life, what a shame it would be if we destroyed ourselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Human Nature, Planetary Boundaries, Wood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What is the plan for an electric grid outage that lasts for months?

Posted on January 4, 2024 by

Preface. There are three posts on Ted Koppel’s book “Lights out”: Book review of Lights Out. A Cyberattack. A Nation Unprepared. Surviving the Aftermath What is the plan for an electric grid outage that lasts for months? Want to survive … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackouts, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Energy Books, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why methanol cannot replace petroleum as a transportation fuel

Posted on December 20, 2023 by

Preface. Methanol, or CH₃OH, is primarily used to make chemicals for plastics, paints, and cosmetics. It is made from coal or natural gas. “Green” methanol is made from biomass or biogas from landfills or sewage plants. Or it can be … Continue reading →

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Why is everyone afraid of AI or thinks it will solve all our problems?

Posted on December 13, 2023 by

I question how useful and existentially threatening AI really is. I am not denying that AI can do marvelous things, especially finding patterns, which is terrifically useful across many fields.  It is best when it has very narrow objectives, such … Continue reading →

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Do you want to eat, drink, or fly?

Posted on December 6, 2023 by

Preface.  In this post the New York Times writes about renewable airplane fuel from corn ethanol, and questions whether there is enough water and a few other problems.  First I’m going to summarize their issues with this, and then follow … Continue reading →

Posted in Airplanes, Biofuels, Biomass EROI, Groundwater, Peak Water | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Do you want to eat, drink, or fly?

Want to survive Peak Everything? Become a Mormon

Posted on September 20, 2023 by

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 & 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

Posted on September 6, 2023 by

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 →

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EV charging not possible when restricted or grid down

Posted on August 13, 2023 by

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 →

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The electric grid could be down for years if LPTs destroyed

Posted on July 3, 2023 by

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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Risks of cyber attack on Infrastructure

Posted on June 5, 2023 by

Delacourt TP (2022) Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure as the New WMD. Homeland Security. Preface. What follows are several articles on how cyber attacks could harm our infrastructure across at least 16 systems we depend on.  Although it is the decline … Continue reading →

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