Read this in today's powermarketer.com:
According to the US Energy information Administration, U.S. ethanol production reached a record 3.9 billion gallons. There are 97 ethanol plants operating with another 33 under construction and of the existing, nine being expanded.
Last year the U.S. wind generating capacity jumping 35 percent as companies invested $3 billion to bring an additional 2,400 megawatts online. This year they plan to add an additional 3,000 MW.
Bruce
We might get off forein oil someday yet.
Thanks Alot Mr Mom
I heard something last evening about there being a shortabge of bio diesel and that in turn causing gasoline and regular diesel to rise in price, along with the biodiesel. There seems to be no winning or even getting close to getting even with the whole mess. I am just raising my prices of doing besiness as the fuels drastically raise my overhead causing the bottom line to be red in color. :'( :'( :'( :'(
Now, if I could come up with some economical one step method method of converting Fir needles to an energy source I could be by for a few year, until my licence is revoked for lack of vision or finding my way home. :D :D :D
The oil companies are having a tough go of it, with only 10 billion in profits last year, lets give 'em a little slack :D :D
A company is trying to put in some windmills in the next town over from me, but the community is giving them a lot of grief about it, I don't know if it will ever happen. What ever happened to being able to do what you wanted with your own land? As far as people not wanting to look at something, I say they can look the other direction or put up a really tall fence. :) The con's of being an eyesore, and noisy I think can be looked over for the energy produced and savings down the road. Need to stop worrying about today, its almost over, and start thinking about tomorrow.
Heard Exxon cleared 21 billion last quarter. Guess everybody in Washington has oil stock. :-[
Obviously (to me anyway :) ) we are buying all the fuel that can be made, so the price will go accordingly. As well, any alternative fuel that is made will be sold at a competitive price, and I wouldn't expect it to be any less. The market demand will control the price (unless the gub'mint steps in and forces things to happen which won't mean less money in the pockets of 'big' oil, I don't think). Tax revenue from fuel is a big item and the gub'mint will not want to see that revenue slipping in the near future, if ever. They think they need it. :)
If we want to be independent of foreign oil, then we can drill offshore, i.e. the left coast or Alaska.
Lots of our habits and likes are going to change, but probably not in my lifetime. Certainly for my grandkids.
Alternative fuels for energy will happen and hopefully some individuals will benefit from waste veggie oil, but when an easy way is discovered to convert it, its value and price will go up to make another 'alternative' necessary.
Just what I feel, not that I know nothin' bout it. :)
Anyone see the show on The Discovery Channel last night: Oil, Sweat, RIGS?
I belive they claimed 165 rigs were damaged or destroyed in the hurricanes in the gulf last year.
Do a "Peak Oil" search and read some of the scenarios. Very interesting stuff. I don't think it will be too long before we see some strong effects. Our lifestyle is definatly going to have to change. This may be gradually or it might be accelerated. But it has to change. The better informed we are the more we can prepare.
According to an article I read a couple of days ago, the average wholesale price of a gallon of ethanol is higher than the average retail price of a gallon of regular gas right now. Replacing 10% of the gas in a gallon with ethanol raises the price per gallon about a nickel.
Around here the county gov'ment is makeing it impposable to put up windturbines. They want to tax the heck out of them and charge outragous amounts per foot of tower for building permits.
Locally in a few parts of northern Ohio they are looking at wind sites I know that the hill I live on has just been re-surveied and I belive they are looking at the windward side for a possable local. (not MY land but with in 1/2 mile as the crow flys) I was out in CA and drove around/under & between some of the windmill generating plant (probably shouldn't have been alud there but there wasn't any signs and was slightly more than a path ) anyhow noisy yes but the energy was FREE after initial investment... SOLAR would work but not too well around HERE (maybe OK though) as WE get more average days of SUN than Sunny ca according to the local weatherman... not sure if that is really correct but durring winter I don't think the sun EVER comes up prehaps that is just my job which gets me there before sun wakes up and won't let me go untill it is scared off by the cold tempts :(
markM
I'm in shock - I finally found a biodiesel dealer in PA. I 'd read about one in Manhiem but this one is in E Earl - Lancaster county on US 322 - and sells a low sulphur/biodiesel blend .
The kicker for me is that my car is turbo diesel and was built in Europe for low sulphur diesel - good for the turbo, intercooler, lowers soot, NOX, etc ). Well apparently they tell me that low sulphur is too hard to make here ( its been in Europe for years and not due to get here till 2007 though there are some companies trying to start earlier ) so I'm told that we can't have diesel cars here in many states, etc because the emissions have too much soot, NOX and such - what a surprise . Europe I'm told has about 50-60 % of their cars as diesels because some of them can get as much as 80+mpg - the small VW's - don't know what the Nissan's, Peugot and such get. And check this out - a 10 cyl audi diesel just won 7 hours at Sebring over the gas powered race cars .
So I'm becoming a diesel advocate - at least for the short term - its here now, uses proven technology, and is very efficient. IMHO I wouldn't buy a hybrid - technology is too fluid ( DanG they want us to put our flashlight batteries in special toxic waste disposal containers - what do they think they're gonna do with millions of hybrid cars ??? ). I guess when its time to replace the truck it'll be a toss up between ethanol and diesel.
Thanks for hearing me out
Bill,
I second your advocacy of diesel. We were visiting friends in Germany during August of 2004 and rented a BMW for a few days. Drove it at 140 - 150 MPH and still got about 35 mpg. And it used the low sulpher diesel. It had a lot of pep and was a joy to drive.
I keep asking the question - "If the Germans can do it, why can't we?"
And I also think you have hit a bullseye on the hybrid car. What are we going to do with all the batteries? And for the extra cost, it is difficult for me to understand how the hybrid car an pay for itself. My understanding is that this is just people wanting to do something for the envrionrment. Now that is a wonderful idea, but I think we should all think through the details and be sure we are really helping the environment.
IN 1979 VW RABBIT DIESEL GOT 48-52 MPG COMMUNTING TO WORK ;)
NOW 27 YEARS LATER OUR US CARS ARENT EVEN CLOSE TO THAT :(
PROBLY WOULD COST THE OIL COMPANYS TO MUCH PROFIT IF WE DID
BUILD A CAR THAT GOOD
Blow power in N. Missouri. Windmills supposed to generate nuff power for 30,000 homes. Interesting article and ya can read bout it right here. Linky (http://www.deere.com/en_US/jdc/product_financing/wind_energy/press_release/wind_energy_missouri.html) Notice the partners.
B-I-L is doing it on his own...got some expermental wind generator coming to put up this spring.
Couple of guys menitioned diesel...you can get an older BMW diesel with short money, barely broke in with 200,000 miles. Darn things still get 50 mpg. What are we missing here? ::)
we missed usa owned & built by us workers (the big 3} producing what vw did 27 years ago
Logwalker is right.
Do a "Peak Oil" search and read some of the scenarios. Very interesting stuff. I don't think it will be too long before we see some strong effects. Our lifestyle is definatly going to have to change. This may be gradually or it might be accelerated. But it has to change. The better informed we are the more we can prepare.
I spent 42 years in the oil industry and regardless of what you see as profits today, things ain't getting better for the long run. I can also tell you I ain't selling my house and buying Exxon stock. Until we get off our throttle things are going to get worse. I told a friend of mine the other day, when I was in England 30 years ago, people wore sweathers in the house. We want to run around naked and turn up the thermostat. A few folks in the rest of the world have A CAR. We have one for each day and two for Sunday. We must conserve our natural resources. Yes, I hate to pay such a high price for fuel but I paid $2.34 per gallon in Italy in 1974. Look at Europe today. This ain't oil companies, it is supply and demand. Get some gas for the saws, it may be your last.
there is a thread in the TBN site that has a guy who put a china made tractor 3 cyl diesel into his compact pickup (nison I think?) and is geting 53 MPG
( just went & copied the link )
LONG LINK (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/china/Number/835896/page/1/view/collapsed/sb/5/fpart/all/o/)
so anyone can see lots of work guy knows whats he doing too ! :)
boy maybe that is wht I should do with my project car when I get after it? :)
I also ahve on older excort which ran 44 mpg highway and 35 city, usually ran 38mpg ave. 1987 even... it has bad clutch and I keep wanting to find a replacement for that thing.
markM
Swedish taxes makes there is no big cost differece in gas or diesel fuel in cars here. Lower fuel consumtion in a diesel engine but 3x higer road tax a year.
There is a small VW diesel car (called Lupo here) that takes just 3 Litres/100km. Can´t move a sawmill with it. Can´t even get a hook for a small trailer in the back but OK for moving people from point A to point B.
Swede.
I have a nighbor who put a 3 cylinder kabota desiel in a old Triumph 10 or 12 years ago. The problem was it had no power. I think he got over 50 mpg with that.
In Europe and in Italy in the last years there is a large diffusion of diesel powered cars because the diesel used to be cheap than gas and the diesel engine use less fuel .
Now with oil over 60$ per barrel the gas and diesel here in Italy cost more than 6$/gal so the latest generation of car are bi-fuel: they have a little tank for gasoline and a big tank for pressurized methane. I don't remenber if methane is selled by m3 or by liter but it cost half the price of gas. Methane is lesser pollutant because during its combustion there isn't formation of NOX and sulfure compound