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It will address our dependency on imported oil for a while but it does not solve the problem posed by the fact that the days of cheap energy are behind us. We need to get the government to call off the lawyers and make America a friendly place for the capital that is already trying desperately to invest in alternatives. Get that wind farm built off of Hyannis for instance. Let's get going on distributed generation of electricity too. We don't need to build giant power plants. It is far more efficient for users to generate the power and sell excess production into the local grid. The only thing that stands in the way of many of the big solutions is that the government encourages the lawyers to sue. Shale? Coal? Fine for the short term but both are environmentally difficult. |
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Thank you Michele!
Also Japan Gas Companies are installing Fuel Cells in homes. The gas is reformed into Hydrogen and electricity created at the house. With all the Gas our country has we could easily do that until we where able to create hydrogen from solar power.
""Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd announced April 14, 2008, that it will start mass-producing its new residential fuel cell system.
Through the enhancement of natural gas reformer efficiency and the improvement of operational stability as well as the adoption of a new inverter, the maximum power generation efficiency of the latest fuel cell system has been enhanced to 39%""
It's here, We just have to get the Gov't out of the way!
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THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS! They were the majority since `1996. Blame them |
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I also welcome you to Townhall, Congresswoman Bachmann. Excellent post and video.
--Mike Chimeri
Wantagh, NY; 3rd Congressional District (Peter King) |
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February 12, 2008
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. On a perfect New Mexico winter day — with the sky almost 10 percent
brighter than usual, Sandia National Laboratories and Stirling Energy Systems (SES) set a new solar-to-grid system conversion efficiency record by achieving a 31.25 percent net(!) efficiency rate.
April 17, 2008
STIRLING ENERGY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES $100 MILLION
INVESTMENT BY NTR PLC.
The well established, reliable Stirling Solar Dish technology has completed R&D and is ready for large scale utility development. Nearly 3 yrs ago the system already had tens of thousands of hours of successful power generation. Tests conducted by SCE and the Sandia National Laboratories have shown that the SES dish technology is almost twice as efficient as other solar technologies...
SES is currently developing two solar sites in California... - Solar One and Solar Two (4,500 total acres) will have a combined generating capacity of 1,750 MW. (That is about 2.5 times the capacity of an average nuclear power plant).
SES has long term, Power Purchase Agreements with two of California’s leading utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE).
Stirling Dish Systems create no adverse environmental consequences.
The only fuel used is the sun... remarkably quiet, emitting less than 66 dB at full load. A Stirling solar plant will have no significant biological or cultural / paleontological / geological impacts. The system has a support post structure that is only about 18 inches in diameter, the result being comparable to the planting of a tree. The primary impact, after construction, is to provide shade.
Projected cost is 6 cents per KWH. (National average is almost 9 cents, CA about 12)
There ya go! Guess we can stop scoffing at solar now.
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What too many people fail to recognize, is that more than any other product, oil fuels our economy. Besides the obvious problems for the individuals at the gas pump, or heating our homes, there is the impact of getting goods to market. There are also many, many products that we use on a daily basis that are made from oil. Try looking for something in your home that doesn't have some plastic in it somewhere. Fiber optics is another oil based product, as is polyester. Those are just a few of many.
Yes, we should find practical alternative fuels, but ethanol is not one of them.
If we had started drilling in ANWAR when Bush first took office, our outlook wouldn't be nearly as grim as it is today. We have since discovered vast oil fields in Utah, Montana, Colorado and in other western states. We also have huge fields off our coasts. We have the technology to reach them with very minimal environmental impact. We need to stop letting the very vocal few keep us from using the vast resources here in our own country. Until we do, we will be at the mercy of OPEC. |
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Here in the Northeast the fat is going to be in the fire next heating season. $5/gallon is not out of the question. The reality is the Washington and state government WANT us to be on their dole.
To Mr. Liberal, neither party has had the will or the desire to face this since the '70's and I do not expect that to change. In Snowe and Collins, we have some fairly well-known names in gop circles and they are doing nada to help the situation and this is becoming critical.
Remember that President Clinton in his first days put great reserves in the West off limits to drilling. Time to drill and build, refineries that is or we will not have to worry about alternatives, this will be a wasteland sooner than later. |
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It's obvious as to why we're paying such high prices for gasoline. For decades, we haven't been allowed to drill for new oil in the USA to sustain our nation's needs because of wacko environmentalists. Why we expect the rest of the world to supply Americans with oil I don't know.
Now, we're being held hostage by those oil supplying nations using good old American capitalism, known as supply and demand. They have surplus oil to sell and America must pay whatever price they ask.
For years, politicians have pandered to environmentalists for votes and have consistently voted down efforts to drill domestically on our large oil reserves.
As the price for oil has soared, the value of the American dollar has almost collapsed. Our congressional representatives are supposed to plan ahead to protect our interests, instead of pandering to naive, fringe groups to garner votes for reelection.
Drill for more oil in the United States!
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I am the inventor of a wind power system using static airfoils. Power Towers can demonstrate that wind power is the way forward. I envision these twin slender skyscrapers size towers that can used as both habitable structures and power generating towers. They would have an airfoil shape and produce 50 MW of power. These slender towers would be wild life friendly and will use 1/10 the land now needed by horizontal turbines.
I have discovered a means of producing electric power from the wind that is many times more efficient then the horizontal turbines now in use. My patent pending wind machine will power the 21st. Century! Imagine a 50 MW wind power plant that is operational 100% of the time.
The cost of wind electric energy must be reduced to below $.03/ kWh. and made more reliable in order for wind power to become competitive with coal. My discovery is an innovative machine using static airfoils. Rotors produce power proportional to the diameter squared. My patent pending invention produces power from the wind not by increasing rotor diameter to immense sizes but by increasing the wind velocity, and since power is proportional to the cube of the velocity you immediately see the advantage.
Congresswoman Bachmann, you may be able to provide funding for a for a demonstration project. A wind tunnel test is planed for this winter semester at University of Michigan. This test will confirm my calculations, and provide data to direct my next steps. If you are able to assist me please do. The importance of this project can not be minimized.
Imagine how the world will change if the world knew what I know about wind power and its abundance.
Frank Grassi
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Half of the percentage rise in the dollar price of oil and gasoline over the last year has been due to the declining, weak dollar.
The proof is that the dollar price of ALL imports has been rising, including the produce you buy at the supermarket.
For Europeans, the price of gasoline has risen this past year too, but by nowhere near as much as for America, because the euro is worth more.
True conservatives, like Ronald Reagan, NEVER supported the devaluation of the dollar as a quick fix for our trade imbalances. They knew that a weak dollar is inflationary--a hidden tax imposed on average Americans who have to buy food and fuel imported from abroad.
The GOP platform should state categorically that the GOP will never again devalue the dollar as a way to boost the U.S. economy.
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Fred writes: "For years, politicians have pandered to environmentalists for votes and have consistently voted down efforts to drill domestically on our large oil reserves. "
The gridlock in Congress is due to the failure of BOTH SIDES to compromise.
Congress MIGHT have passed a bill allowing for increased domestic oil production, but ONLY IF conservatives agreed to other measures for stringent energy conservation.
And they haven't.
Conservatives won't even accept mandated fluorescent light bulbs, which is about as nonthreatening and harmless a policy as can be.
Liberals won't accept increased oil production.
And the result is gridlock--no energy policy whatsoever.
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. . . while you're at it, how's your proposed plan for wallpaper that glows in the dark?
(I bring this up because ALL the enviro-wackos' "solutions" sound like something right out of one of Ralph Kramden's "crazy, harebrained schemes" in a typical "Honeymooners" episode.) |
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Energy Independence is a misnomer…
… as we cannot truly establish independence from foreign Oil Suppliers even if we explored and leveraged Coastal sources and Proven Reserves. *** Important Note *** OIL COMPANIES ARE NOT THE ENEMY. THEY ARE LEGITIMATE PROVIDERS OF A PRODUCT AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
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The facts are
Exploring, Drilling and Refining the 25 - 30 billion barrels of Oil Reserves: Reported Reserves are sufficient to maintain our current Daily Consumption for a little more than 4 years (20 mb/day). Proponents of depleting what is effectively America’s safety-net against the whims the Saudi Arabia and leading exporters is not a sound strategy. The loud and repetitive refrain of Conservatives to “Domestically Explore, Drill & Refine” our way out of a dependency of foreign oil seems to lose its voice when the simple question, “Then What?”, is tabled. The response is the tried & true approach of Light Reasoning, Weighted Hubris, & Nurturing a Hatred of a Perceived Enemy which typically follows this course:
“We’re Americans. As such, our ideal principles of limited government and the free market have & will respond to the needs of the people. It is The Liberal who will try to convince you that Big Government must come in and save the day with regulations and more taxes. No. What we need is less government, more exploration, more domestic refineries, more jobs for good Americans and getting the government the hell out of the way”. |
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This argument is built upon the premise that Oil Companies will act in the best interest of the consumer through the innovation of alternative means of fuel, whereby American consumers will cease to use and be dependent on the product sold…. Ridiculous. What would compel any company to advance towards its demise.
The US currently relies upon almost 500,000 Oil Wells to produce approximately 8 mb/day, satisfying almost 40% if our daily consumption. If we were to bring on-line, today, enough platforms to extract the estimated 25 - 30B barrels we would only begin a steady walk towards depleting THE ONLY safety-net we have.
Let’s assume that we brought our production levels (of oil) back up to almost 9 mb/day, lessening our dependence on OPEC sources, the net result would likely be a decrease in OPEC production and a subsequent increase in the market price, enough so to offset the benefit of more domestic production. |
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The US Currently Refines more than 90% of the approximate 20 Million Barrels/Day Consumed. That’s approximately 17 mb/day, a deficit of almost 3 mb/day. Oil Companies seldom lobby hard for increased refineries as the Federal Government routinely produces data demonstrating no dire need for more refineries. While more refineries will mean more jobs for US workers, a definite benefit, the increased cost of these Higher Paid workers (compared to foreign workers) will result in slightly higher Gas prices.
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The best alternative for the US is to leverage a Renewable Fuel Source that can be produced within our borders. Accomplishing what may be one of the greatest challenges in our nation’s history will require more than Federal Government heavy-handiness and Capitalism Inspired Competitiveness, as the Survival of our Economy, National Security and Ability to Remain The Global Leader of Freedom are dependent upon such a solution to this decades old dilemma. Our Federal Government must, as is the premise of our Constitution, but contrary in practice, demonstrate absolute prejudice against obstacle that stands before the advancement of our solution, respecting only liberty and freedom. The Federal Government must not, under any circumstance, assume the position of representing The People in this endeavor, establishing a preference for or against a particular solution until accepted by The People.
We must compel Our Government to formally recognize our circumstance and to most importantly adopt a strategy to identify Fuel Alternatives, not Alternative Sources of Non Renewable Fuels.
Source: Energy Information Administration - EIA: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government, Basic Petroleum Statistics
What I Learned This Week | Declaration of Energy Independence
http://whatilearnedthisweek.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/declar ation-of-energy-independence/
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I've been saying exactly the same thing for many months. It's hopelessly politicized. Most of the people who visit TH are hard-wired to believing that there are vast oil fields to be found and that the "evile" oil companies are conspiring with OPEC to conceal them. I am very knowledgeable on this subject and continue to research it extensively. The main role of the government is to GET OUT OF THE WAY except for providing a capital-friendly legal environment for the trillions of private capital that is already trying to solve the problem in the face of a capricious political environment. Why would anyone invest a few billion in a long-term project while fighting the enviro lawyers and not knowing what populist games politicians will be playing in 6 months? We don't need more government, we need responsible and mature adults in our government. We don't have that so we will be seeing oil skyrocketing for the foreseeable future and high taxation on this insane cap and trade scam. Totally insane. |
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I am a big advocate of distributed generation but our politicians are in the tank for the big power plant utility companies. It is so much cheaper and more reliable and efficient to produce electricity as close to the end point as possible. Something like 90% of all electricity produced at power plants gets lost in transmission yet we keep expanding that grid. We have a system that produces "dirty" (unstable and erratic) that is sub-standard for our high-tech world and so many companies already produce their own electricity to "blend" with the grid power and bring it up to spec. Why not create a system where companies can figure out how much capacity they need to invest in knowing they can always sell surplus production into the grid or even factor that as a profit center? It is so logical but because CA screwed up so bad on the last time they "deregulated", (ENRON) it is now a subject that is too radioactive to discuss. What do you think? |
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None of that hippie-dippy renewable fuel for Michele Bachmann. We've gotta drill our way out of this mess! Oil shale in the wilderness? Blast it outa there! A month's worth of oil in the ANWR? Screw the caribou--let em graze on oil slicks. Don't you people realize Michele Bachmann believes that resources are put there by god to consume, consume, consume until we run out? But who cares? The End Times are coming and we're all gonna be saved. Hallelujah! |
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You name it, it affects the energy problem. Declining dollar, environmental litigation, Iraq war, domestic economic policy, MADE IN CHINA merchandise, etc, etc. What makes matters worse is the fact I haven't heard any solutions from perspective presidents about how they might begin solving the problem. Politicians seem to be swayed by either big business or environmentalists and assume Americans will just give up their current way of life. I say tackle the problem on all fronts. Uncap our wells, build modern refineries, pursue nuclear energy, and QUIT exporting energy! We have a new natural gas pipeline going through northern Utah with a destination of Oregon. I sincerely hope it doesn't go directly to an ocean port for shipping overseas! |
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The fact that congressperson Bachmann thinks that we could offset our oil imports with domestic shale just proves that any fool can get elected to congress. You think you are paying a lot at the pump now wait till we have to depend on shale.
In a nutshell it requires a lot of water to extract oil from shale. The areas that Bachmann wants to open to mining are in a long term drought. Tons of ore are required to get a gallon of gas. It takes almost as much energy to get oil from this source as it produces.
The waste from this mining is an ecological disaster. I’m not an environmental wacko but even the Canadians have scaled back their production because of the toxic lakes this process produces.
Bachmann’s energy policy seems to one of delaying necessary changes with the hope that the end of days comes before we run out of oil.
Anyone who listens to someone who believes that the earth is a few thousand years old and at the same time is pretending to be and expert about fossil fuels needs to consider getting a 2nd opinion. Bachmann doesn’t believe in fossils.
Just ask her.
Congressperson Bachmann; Do you believe the earth is Billions of years old as is the accepted science or do you believe in the exact wording of Genesis that the earth was created in 7 days? If the later is true how do you think oil was formed?
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