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Buy the Book
November Energy Futures
Will green turn red? Robert Bryce shows why it should.
(Page 2 of 2)
• The concrete and steel requirements for windmills are 9.6 and 11.5 times as great as nuclear reactors and 32 and 139 times greater as natural gas plants. That is what makes wind so expensive.
• Gasoline has eighty times the energy density of the lithium-ion battery, the latest in battery technology. Even old newspapers have thirty times the energy density of batteries. This makes the widespread use of electric vehicles unlikely.
• In the Tesla roadster, the electric whose performance supposedly matches that of gas engines, one-third of the weight of the car is in the battery. The Tesla has a range of only 220 miles and requires four hours to recharge.
• One Kentucky coalmine produces more energy in one day than all the solar panels and windmills in the country.
• If the 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide from coal plants were captured and compressed to 1,000 pounds per square inch in order to be stored underground, its volume would match that of the world’s annual oil production.
• Capturing carbon adds a “parasitic load” to a coal plant equal to 28 percent of its output.
• Although Texas now leads the country in wind production, engineers at ERCOT, the state’s grid operator, estimate windmill electricity is available only 9 percent of the time.
• Constantly adjusting the power level of gas turbines to compensate for wind’s vagaries ends up burning more gas than if there were no windmills in the first place.
• When measured on per-output basis, wind and solar energy get 15 times as much in federal subsidies as nuclear power.
• Almost all “green” technologies, from solar panels to windmills to electric cars, are dependent on two rare elements, neodymium and praseodymium, which have unusual magnetic properties needed to amplify electric currents. China has a de facto monopoly on these rare earths. The lithium for lithium-ion batteries also comes from only three countries — Argentina, Chile, and China. By contrast, 90 different countries are producing oil and 21 produce more than a million barrels a day.
I could go on like this all day but suffice to say, Bryce has compiled a catalogue of hard facts and statistics that puncture just about every myth you will read in breathless accounts of the coming “Green Economy.”
As Bryce sums it up: “One of the greatest challenges in the making of a smart, forward-looking, no-regrets energy policy in American is the paucity of knowledgeable people in positions of power on Capitol Hill and in Washington who truly understand energy.” Or to put it more simply, nuclear has succeeded in France because “France is run by engineers. The United States is run by lawyers.”
After November, we may hope to have fewer lawyers and more engineers running our energy economy.
Peter| 4.26.10 @ 7:07AM
With his book "Power Hungry," you can now add Robert Bryce to the list containing William Tucker and Peter Huber as those who talk techenical and economic sense about energy.
Ken (Old Texican)| 4.26.10 @ 8:08AM
Mr. Tucker
Thank you for this column.
In extremely simple format, you have nailed the myths.
The "green energy" twerps are merely investing in government controls; snuggling up to government largess/waste.
TennesseeVolunteer| 4.26.10 @ 8:21AM
My company makes energy efficient steel panels for the commercial and residential industries. We save the average home 50% or more in heating and cooling costs while only spending 1-2% on the house compared to stick built/fiberglass batt insulated houses. These homes are also much stronger, termite resistant, mold resistant and fire resistant.
The return on investment with these utility savings can be saved in 1-2 years.
American ingenuity has many of the answers for our energy challenges. we just need to get the idiots from Washington out of the way so that people can begin to sell their existing houses and these new energy efficient homes can be built!
T.Dunsmore| 4.28.10 @ 9:51AM
If we built truly efficient homes and self limited our needs we might be able to afford the higher taxes our goverment is going to have to impose on us to pay for there extravagant ways.
Melvin| 4.26.10 @ 8:28AM
There is so much Methane off the Eastern Seaboard that it is bubbling up to the surface of the Atlantic Ocean on its own.
Billions upon billions of cubic meters of the stuff is dissipating on the surface and disappearing into thin air.
When burned this stuff burns with 99% efficiency. And the stupid Euro Zombies here still chant, "Windmills, we must have windmills."
The main reason that windmills are being crammed down our throats because of the EU lobbyists in Washington D.C. selling our morons a flawed bill of goods, because no one has noticed that all material and equipment is manufactured in Europe.
So much for our green jobs huh?
Spoonman| 4.26.10 @ 9:40AM
Duly noted that engineers run the power show in France, while engineers are far from perfect, most know how to solve problems versus creating more as is the tendency of our current politicians!
owyheewine| 4.26.10 @ 10:24AM
I'm a long time engineer in the energy industry, and applaud publication of real numbers about energy. None of the little energy facts are new information to anyone whe has even a little bit of awareness of the real energy situation, but every bit of light on the subject is helpful.
I do take a little offense to the implication in this post concerning the competency of engineers, however. We may not be perfect, but just like capitalist democracy is better than any political system that has been tried , we're just better than any other occupation around. Particurlarly at keeping the lights on.
Dan Hirsch| 4.26.10 @ 9:48AM
Melvin;
I might add to your point: that equipment is manufactured by a small number of very large companies like Siemens and, of course, the evergreen General Electric. I wonder if they have any political connections in DC?.... Hmmmm.
For a similar situation look at which companies manufacture those irritatingly expensive, mercury containing, short-lived dim bulb compact fluorescent bulbs. Pretty much Philips and good ol' politically unconnected (NBC owning) General Electric. I don't blame GE, I blame Congress. Them we can fix. GE, all we can do is shop elsewhere while it's still legal.
Don't tread on me.
Don't tread on me.
Conservative Reader| 4.26.10 @ 9:59AM
"The Story Of Stuff" makes me want to vomit. In the interest of "fairness" I propose we make a counter point video to her icky "Schoolhouse Schlock" propoganda piece circulating among fourth graders.
William Tucker | 4.26.10 @ 10:25AM
I should put in a word here, the news from the schools is not all bad. Three middle school students from Racine, Wis. just won Cspan's "StudentCam" competition for documentaries with an eight-minute video explaining - the need for nuclear power! They did a terrific job. You can view it on Rod Adams' blog: http://atomicinsights.blogspot.....prize.html
Conrad Spiracy| 4.26.10 @ 7:10PM
Mr. Tucker,
Thank you for posting the video by this amazing young woman. She has just surpassed Jeanne Kirkpatrick as my all-time heroine. She reminds me of an episode in my life.
In my high school Chemistry class, I was required to research and write a paper on a conventional topic. I had read an article in Scientific American (a since-turned commie-liberal rag) on the increased building of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) in the people’s republic of Canada – this during the early years of Jimmuh Carter’s war on nuclear power. The China Syndrome was released a scant few years later.
FBRs, as the currently “best” technology, produced more output per kg/fuel than other system. They also produced less waste and used deuterium (heavy water, H3O) as their medium. To totally confuse a current-day liberal, ask them if they’d rather live 30 years near a coal fired power plant or sleep for a year within 10 feet of a spent fuel pool (a pool of water containing used fuel rods).
Of course they’d choose the coal-fired plant because, as the uninformed, scare-tactic line goes, the half-life is 95,000 years. Well, turns out the idiots don't realize that the long half-life is our best friend. The pools of water significantly reduce the speed of the released neutrons, and the long half-life means that fewer neutrons are released more slowly, reducing one’s exposure to radiation. I’d choose the pool – I also wouldn’t need any thermostat because the pool would be warm…..
Three Mile Island? Liberal hype. One released puff of radiation amounted to about the equivalent of 78 chest x-rays.
Chernobyl? No containment vessel to prevent meltdown.
The only drawback is that since GE ceased making containment vessels after Jimmuh led the charge against the safest (thanks to one of my long-standing, anti butt-kissing heroes, Hyman Rickover), least expensive forms of energy, the sole producer of them is Japan – and they have a 20-30 year backlog. So… Congress, pass whatever laws you like, however if you wish to reenergize this form of energy, unless you are ready to unleash a Manhattan Project style impetus, we are stuck in line.
Con Spiracy
Excelsior!
Conrad Spiracy| 4.26.10 @ 7:28PM
"The only drawback is that since GE ceased making containment vessels"
My error - could be Westinghouse - but what's the difference anyway?
Con Spiracy
Excelsior!
Matt Morehouse| 4.26.10 @ 10:27AM
I'll second that. My grandkids are even forced to participate in a play about the Green propaganda.
They came over the other night a were singing some stupid song about leave your SUV's at home.
I told them to shut up.
Fortunately their parents are Conservative and try their best to counteract the crap.
Petronius| 4.26.10 @ 11:31AM
I buy a dozen incandescent light bulbs a month. And I'm looking for low milage vehicles made between 2002 and 08 with V8's. I will update my stereo and buy a couple more pinball machines. And I'll buy more oil stocks with what's left. When gas got to $4 a gallon the dividends covered most of my driving expenses that year. So keep it up ecocksuckers.
Shamus| 4.26.10 @ 11:50AM
Carter was unquestionably the worst president in American history. He made Muslims into our implacable enemies while ensuring that they were primary suppliers of our energy needs. Countries like France and Japan use nuclear to supply their energy, but thanks to Carter we don't. Thanks so much Jimmah.
Dan Hirsch| 4.26.10 @ 2:31PM
Barack Obama will make Jimmy Carter look like Ronald Reagan. Really. Watch.
Don't tread on me.
Christopher Holland| 4.26.10 @ 10:08PM
France generates 80% of its electricity in nuclear power plants and the waste is stored in one facility the size of a tennis court. After 26 years as an economist, working primarily on environmental issues, I still have no idea where the environmental movement thinks this is a bad idea.
The only reason that makes any sense to me is that that environmental movement simply hates anything to do with technology and the standard of living that goes with living in a modern industrial society. I think the environmental movement is not concerned with the environment at all - they are a bunch of nazis and misanthrops who hate people and want to make them suffer, and belting them over the head with a green club is the best way for them to do it. For me, spending 26 years of my professional life working for these ecological nazis was a waste of time - I should have flipped them the bird and gone fishing in the biggest, most polluting monster of a greesn house gas producing boat possible.
Eric(OfConservativeMind)| 4.27.10 @ 3:20AM
Don't forget to put some of that coal plant sludge in a doggie bag on their front porches. I'm sure they'll know how to properly dispose of it, given their greeeeeeeeenie-ness; Perhaps they'll even save us the trouble of living and try to consume it, if you package it like Tofu.
Dan| 4.27.10 @ 5:38AM
Spark the imagination of our youth to the power in a tiny atom and maybe a brave , renewed America will emerge.
Pingback| 5.5.10 @ 12:38PM
Keep the Lights On | America Watches Obama links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Jeff Perren | 5.5.10 @ 4:22PM
"After November, we may hope to have fewer lawyers and more engineers running our energy economy."
A very useful column, but be careful what you wish for. Hoover was an engineer.
Jeff Perren | 5.5.10 @ 4:24PM
Addendum: NOBODY should be "running our energy economy." The free market can solve which forms of energy are most cost-effective without any central control at all, and ONLY if there is no central control - by lawyers, engineers, or anyone else.