May 9, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Last February, I wrote a post about an organization called EnergyTomorrow.org. This is an industry group comprising "the people of America's oil and natural gas industry." I think they have been quiet for a while (or maybe I just wasn't paying attention), but now they're back. In a new run of TV and newspaper ads, the group is making sure you know where all that money goes that you're parting with at your local gas station.

According to the ad, citing U.S. DOE data for March, 2008, 72% of our gasoline dollars goes to pay for crude oil; 16% goes to refining, distribution, and service stations; and 12% goes to taxes. The ad also says that "in 2007, the industry earned 8.3 cents on each dollar o...Read More
Industries: Process Control

May 7, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

During this time of evaluating energy sources and effects, nuclear power is back in the limelight. An article in today's Chicago Tribune points out that while the cost of producing nuclear power ($1.72/ kW hour) has become even cheaper than coal (not to mention one-third the cost of burning natural gas and one-fifth the cost of burning oil) the cost of building nuclear plants has become clearly the most expensive.

Indeed, over the last year the price of building a nuclear reactor has effectively doubled and is now around $9 billion. Nonetheless, the NRC is currently reviewing nine applications that will involve 15 plants throughout the U.S. The federal government has set aside $18.5 billion in loan guarantees, but given the costs involved, th...Read More

Industries: Information Control

May 6, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

A while back I made a posting or two about the Galvin Electricity Initiative. This is an organization that is advocating for major upgrades of our electric power distribution systems. I contacted their press office asking for some technical information on the nature of the upgrades the organization is suggesting, and they responded some time ago. (It is reassuring to know that it doesn't involve cold fusion, antimatter, or perpetual motion technology.)

In fact, if you have some time on your hands, they have published a major paper in cooperation with EPRI on some of their specific ideas. You can download it as a PDF. I've read parts of it, and what I've ...Read More
Industries: Information Control

May 5, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Representative Peter Roskam, 6th district of Illinois

Dear Mr. Roskam:

While the presidential primaries have been entertaining, I am disappointed to hear all three candidates making noises about trying to find artificial means to get the price of gasoline down again. While I certainly like to be pandered to once in a while, I think I would vote for the candidate who would say something like, "Here's how your government will help you find ways to use less gasoline. And while we're at it, we will change the subsidy system to stop propping up ethanol production from food grain feedstocks and shift it to other sources that are non-edible. Plus, we will remove tariffs on imported ethanol from places like Brazil (and maybe even Cuba) where it can be made cheaply without serious impact on food supplies." The real solution for our energy problems is to quit wasting it.

Your faithful constituent,
Peter Welander

May 1, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Earlier this week I attended the ABB user group meeting in Houston. It was a gathering with few big stories, but there was a consistent pull that brought many of the discussions back to the idea of saving energy. One ABB official said that the company is well positioned in the "sweet spot" of offering a critical combination of products and services that allow companies to save energy.

One of ABB's well kept secrets is a quarterly magazine it publishes called ABB Review. While that isn't exactly a catchy title, it is a very interesting and often thought provoking publication. Since it is published by ABB it contains everything from the company's slant, but...Read More
Industries: Information Control