Securing America’s Energy Future report out at House

New House of Representatives energy policy report out, see details at NEI, excerpt below of key findings — please note the finding that current prices are demand driven and note the wake-up call regarding catastrophic supply shock, emphasis mine:

  • the current period of high, volatile oil prices is demand-driven, “and not caused by supply restrictions instituted by producers or political upheaval”
    • given today’s tight global markets with little excess capacity, the United States is vulnerable to “catastrophic supply shock” in view of current geopolitics
    • the United States must pursue production and conservation; these are not “either or” options
    • reduction of demand for oil in the transportation sector is essential, as this sector consumes more than two-thirds of the country’s supply
    • the government must strengthen corporate average fuel economy standards to help reduce demand for oil and enhance domestic competition
    • in addition to developing alternative transportation fuels, the country must pursue aggressively renewable energy, clean coal technology and “next generation nuclear”
    • in turning away from natural gas as a baseload source of electricity, the country must redirect its use in industries as feedstock or primary energy and not a “substitute for fuel-switching”
    • nuclear must be the “primary generator of baseload energy, thereby relieving the pressure on natural gas and dramatically improving atmospheric emissions.”

Link to full report.  My only comment, Pournelle proves to be prescient once again. In his seminal work “A Step Further Out” Jerry predicted something to the effect that Oil would become to valuable to burn. (good luck finding the book, I have bought aproximately ten copies of this book over the years, and everytime I have lent it out it has never come back. The reason has always been something to the effect of “Oh, it was an important book and I wanted so & so to read it”… so&so then gives the same story. Results: I no longer have a copy and can’t find one.)

Washington Group from US bids on cleanup of Brit reactors here.

 I can also see that’s it time to write that article I was going to on high-speed transcontinental mag-lev rail lines.

2 thoughts on “Securing America’s Energy Future report out at House”

  1. How could anyone pass up that deal? I’ve sent you my real name and address in email, and thanks kindly for the comment friend. If you haven’t been by Paul Belien’s site you should stop by, there’s a bit of a flap in Belgium unfortunate for Paul.

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