US Energy Flows

Perry_5

This is the first year they produced such a nice chart. For prior years all you had was tables of numbers and some graphs...

We all hear on how we can rapidly expand the nations "Renewable" energy and dramatically affect the US energy picture. Greatly expanding Solar and Wind energy will solve all... (and lets not even discuss the cost compared to other technologies).

The 6.8% (rounded to 7%) seems like it's plausible; until you look at what makes up that 7%.

Solar and Wind make up only 6% of the 7% ==> which goes to 0.41% of US energy supply. That after decades of development and massive subsidies (see Subsidy Picture).

Solar and Wind has gotten the vast majority of the Renewable subsidy dollars - at this point about 1/2 of what Nuclear has gotten since 1950 - but Nuclear produces 8.41% of the US energy and Solar and Wind 0.41%.

These numbers will only get worse as much of the Wind subsidy is tax based and we have committed to 20 years of subsidies for every wind turbin built. Nuclear Subsidies are virtually all in the past and were R&D related. There is extremely little current subsidy of Nuclear Power compared to the other technologies. Oil and Gas still get substantial government subsidies in the form of tax policy even though those are mature technologies with no little R&D efforts.

Perry

Fred Harwood_2

Energy Flows 2007

A Wall poster asked about US energy flows. The EIA produces much useful data for those interested in likely flows for the near future. Chances are that 2009 energy consumption may be slightly lower than in 2007, if only because of the economic recession underway.
The attached pdf is about the best snapshot of such flows that I've seen.

Best Holiday wishes to all.

Perry_5

A few links of interest:

Here is where I got that nice subsidy chart (although I have others from prior years).

http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/09/us-energy-subsidies-updated.html

If any of you hear about how deadly nuclear is.... lets look at which technologies cause the most deaths (see picture).

http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/03/deaths-per-twh-for-all-energy-sources.html

Of course, nuclear power might someday kill some people. So far it has not killed many compared to other fuel sources even if you count Chernobyl. But someday it might...

Have a great day.


Perry

RonWHC

With $130 Billion

spent on Fed's regulating the oil folks, it's amazing we have any product at all. Wonder what'll happen when the new guys/gals in town start doing their thing?

Mules just might make a come back.