Category Archives: Energy

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

Relax! Solar energy can save us. Krugman says so. by Ted Trainer

Posted on June 9, 2013 by energyskeptic

Ted Trainer is the author of Renewable Energy Cannot Sustain a Consumer Society and his “What to Do” can be found at The Simpler Way http://socialsciences.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/, in The Transition to a Sustainable and Just World, Envirobook, 2010, and the papers … Continue reading →

Posted in Photovoltaic Solar | 2 Comments

EROI downward spiral

Posted on June 7, 2013 by energyskeptic

Stephen Leeb. June 2013. Dangerous times as energy sources get costlier to extract. Forbes. Remember the term “peak oil”? With all the oil now available from oil shale, tar sands, and other new sources, many analysts assume that the old … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested | Comments Off

Oil can never be replaced with alternative energy

Posted on April 28, 2013 by energyskeptic

People who think that wind, solar, biofuels, hydrogen, batteries, and so on will save us simply don’t understand how much energy is contained in oil and other fossil fuels, how much we rely on it, how it is at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil | Comments Off

Natural Gas and Trucking

Posted on April 26, 2013 by energyskeptic

What we are facing is a liquids fuels crisis, since 97% of transportation depends on oil (especially to plant, harvest, and distribute food, long-haul trucking, trains, etc). To the extent that natural gas can fill in for oil, that will … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas Vehicles | Comments Off

Peak Oil Acknowledged by Middle Eastern countries — they’re scared

Posted on April 16, 2013 by energyskeptic

Very interesting reflections on a peak oil conference in the Middle east of the countries that export oil. I think it must mean we’re past peak, don’t believe “the near future”. Peak Oil as seen through the eyes of Arab … Continue reading →

Posted in How Much Left | Comments Off

Renewable Energy can’t supply more than 30% of electricity without revolutionary battery breakthrough

Posted on April 13, 2013 by energyskeptic

Wind and solar are too intermittent to comprise much of electric grid power now, according to Steven Chu, former US energy secretary. In 2010, Chu said, “Without technological breakthroughs in efficient, large-scale energy storage, it will be difficult to rely … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries | 1 Comment

A Huge Solar Plant Opens, Facing Doubts About Its Future

Posted on March 23, 2013 by energyskeptic

A Huge Solar Plant Opens, Facing Doubts About Its Future By DIANE CARDWELL and MATTHEW L. WALD FEB. 13, 2014. New York Times. The Ivanpah solar power plant: Cost $2.2 billion dollars to build Can energize 140,000 homes ($15,714 per … Continue reading →

Posted in Concentrated Solar Power | Comments Off

Oil Statistics

Posted on March 15, 2013 by energyskeptic

Source: 6 Aug 2012. Lou Gagliardi. Energy Stock for the Short Term. Cabot Wealth Advisory. Major oilfields in decline Around 70,000 oil fields are currently in production, according to the UK’s Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (ITPOES). … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil | Comments Off

Natural Gas Facts and Statistics

Posted on January 25, 2013 by energyskeptic

SBC. October 2014. Factbook Natural Gas Factbook. SBC Energy Institute 83% of natural gas comes from conventional reservoirs: 2.9 trillion cubic meters 13% of reservoirs account for 70% of global reserves The number of discoveries of giant fields has fallen … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas | Comments Off

What is global EROI now? A Review of 2012 EROI of Global Energy Resources

Posted on January 16, 2013 by energyskeptic

[ FYI the USDA recently updated the numbers on the energy balance of corn ethanol in 2015 Energy Balance for the Corn-Ethanol Industry. Todd “Ike” Kiefer has written a rebuttal that can be found here. Past articles of his include … Continue reading →