The National Energy Conundrum

One word: Politics.

One more word: Money.

One Sentence: Politicians are generally not the brightest crayon in the box speaking of technology.

One more sentence: Politicians like money.

Thank you wise and knowledgeable guru dude

What of the energy efficiency spectrum of corporately using gasoline to produce electricity and using the product to power automobiles vs. gasoline?

I concede the cost differential of gasoline vs coal however the fact remains we are using the heat energy stored in the gasoline very inefficiently as individual vehicle fuel vs. corporately to produce electricity.

Even though the cost is greater using domestic oil to produce gasoline, we could offset that by eliminating need for off shore crude thereby creating jobs here and gaining a national security edge.

We are currently consuming the gasoline so let's dispense with the coal argument and refer only to the efficiency to be gained by using gasoline efficiently producing those electrons as our capabilities to capture electrons from Sol are developed and disseminated.

bwire,

Does the USA have enough crude for their own domestic use? I know you do not process all of the crude for gas, but my guess would be that coal is your only choice of "conventional" fuel for the long term.

What have you been smoking dude?

I how one can escape reality as these guests manage to do so well. I don't inhale

1. There is not enough crude anywhere to supply to USA if the USA continues it's current usage of crude.

When traffic conditions [reality] are modeled in efficiency of gasoline as vehicular fuel drops from about 40% to as low as 8%.

So the point is http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/quickoil.html the USA consumes about 390 million gallons of gasoline daily.

What a mess.

All the money spent so foolishly by the previous administration is enough to replace the USA's vehicle fleet with efficient electric and electric hybrids; one for each household and the infrastructure to support it.

"All the money spent so foolishly by the previous administration "

That is not never was never will be a realistic option, and detracts from the real issue.

All the money currently being dissipated by the current administration is another useless canard.

Back to engineering!

milo

The USA has large areas of desert available, just ideal for farming solar power and with capacity to spare. Maybe the economic conditions aren't right for its development, perhaps, until the dino fuel is all gone?

Who was it that claimed that the state of Texas is a net oil importer?

Article:

Has Texas Become a Net Importer of Energy Resources

by Jay Zarnikau

Director of Strategic Planning and Pricing

Planergy, Inc.

Austin, TX

I'm for the "nukes" for base load power.............certainly green.

After all there are about 9 large carriers and about 20 nuclear submarines, thats in the US navy, what about the nuclear vessel of other countries navies............and of course they are armed to the teeth carrying atomic payloads that could wipe the world out several times over.

Nuclear reactors will give the chance for the worlds atmosphere to clear a little...........before the big bang.........I mean you only have to have one of the mad dictators in one of these "unstable" countries to fall out of his tree and use a nuclear weapon................. and then it could be on for young and old.......................or...................."goodnight Mr Chips"

BWIRE,

*Coal /gasoline/gas are basically hydro carbn fuels.Ofcourse,the level of so called smoke and pollution aspects are concenrned ,the grading on less pollutive to more pollutive rate[co2,co,carbon soot,SO2,No2,thermal etc]could be Gas,Gasoline,coal,nuclear etc.As far as present allocation of fuels are concerned ,we have to manipulate the available sources based on proportionate stock on earth.

*Coal is a prefered fuel for thermal power plants on grounds of cheapness,and not preferred in automobiles because of smoke and carrying problems.Coal plants are operated with robust pollution control devices ofcourse.

*Automobiles should be preferably run on cleaner fuels ,since pollution controllability is made compactand fuels carriability is given preferance.

*It is the net pollution load whether burning directly any fossil fuel in power plant/automobilethat counts.

*Leaving out the cost aspects, your idea is a temporary shifting solution.

*Cleaner energy/power production,utilization in total confirmity with renewablity,augmentability and sustainability is the complex long term based complex need.

*We are simply emptying our bank resources without any deposit matters in.

*The real route solution is camoflagued else where.

await comments

S,Udhayamarthandan 20/03/2009

Coal /gasoline/gas are basically hydro/carbon fuels

They are not basically hydro/carbon ...............they are hydro/carbon fuels

...........the grading on less pollutive to more pollutive rate[co2,co,carbon soot,SO2,No2,thermal etc]could be Gas,Gasoline,coal,nuclear etc

Whose grading is this? As far as atmospheric pollution is concerned.......nuclear power plants don't!! Fossil fuels and coal in particular are the main pollutants.

By 2012the expected cuts in greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol will be swamped by emissions from a surge of new coal fired power plants in India (9 UMPP -Ultra Mega Power Projects, all coal fired), China and USA

This chart is from UDI-Platts, US Energy Information, Administration and Industry Estimates.

Australia is by no means less guilty, it is the largest exporter of coal in the world, the coal is not of a high quality, and it ships this coal to Asia and the sub continent and our Prime Minister says........"What a good government we are, Australia is now a signatory to Kyoto"...........what crap.

Coal is a preferred fuel for thermal power plants on grounds of cheapness,and not preferred in automobiles because of smoke and carrying problems

Tell me you are not really serious about this statament.............or I may well ask, "What the hell have you been smoking?"

Coal plants are operated with robust pollution control devices of course.

Hahahahah. Don't make I laugh,

pee I self.

run down I leg,

wet I sock

Well MOBI,

you may be having strong statistics I agree.The current energy demand is met by fossil fuels either for power generation/automobiles.What is your solution for long term,totally greener,renewable,augmentable power needs?

*Manipulating with fossil fuels,nuclear is the only solution left presently.Do you mean Nuclear is the ultimate option that the globe is left with?

*Are we dried of options?

S,Udhayamarthandan Dt:21/03/2009

This hits at the socioeconmic inertia that is the foundationof the problem.

GA from me.

milo