Negawatt

Another great article from The Economist about the elusive Negawatt, the idea of increasing available energy on the grid through conservation instead of generation. There's a new study out that shows conservation has an average ROE of 17% with a minimum of about 10%. If you look around at today's market, with such small returns on savings, that's a great return. So why don't we do more conservation? The article points out that conservation is increasingly popular with business, but not as much with invididuals and examines many of the reasons for that. Its a great, information dense article in typical Economist fashion. I'm stil digesting it all, because ultimately it left me depressed. As the article rightly points out, there are "a series of distortions and market failures that discourage investment in efficiency."

Aye, there's the rub. As I see it, basically we have a system where companies make money by selling energy but don't suffer the financial consequences (climate change) from their activities.

We need to change the system. I'm learning more about carbon tax proposals, and am leaning in that direction. But something needs to be done.

I wish I was more optimistic that it would.

Photo: Amazing and borrowed from The Economist article

Wind Power To The Rescue?

Via the great Jetson Green (check the EcoLinks list on the right) comes this tidbit:

Here's some interesting news: a new Department of Energy report claims wind turbines could generate 300 gigawatts of electricity -- roughly 20% of the US electrical grid -- by 2030. ... The report doesn't necessarily predict the future of the wind industry, but it paints a picture of what a particular 20% wind scenario could mean for the nation. The wind industry currently produces about 17 gigawatts of electricity, so we're talking about significant growth over the next twenty-something years. That said, wind industry growth has been fierce in recent years and is on track to meet these numbers if growth holds pace.

My guess is that it will be higher, but only because I don't believe the very optimistic DOE projections of the amount we will be getting from the depleting reserves of natural gas and oil. Still, nice to see that wind is getting a serious look from the muck-a-mucks in DC.

Photo: Keith Gillard

Blogs I Love: Down To Earth

Want to start sharing some of the blogs that I read on a regular basis that you'll find listed in my EcoLinks sidebar. One of my absolute favorites is Rhonda Jean's Down To Earth from Australia. Rhonda Jean writes about homesteading, food, simple living, household tips and experiencing life. I have far too many blogs and sites in my feed burner that get ignored, but this is one I never miss. The pic above is from one of her recent posts about her favorite easy and delicious spinach pie. Yum. And I love the photos of her garden and chooks (chickens for you citified folk).

She is a joy to read and has many ideas for living a more ecologically friendly life. Be sure to drop by when you have some time.

G8 Goes Begging for Oil

Seems as if the leading industrial countries are finally getting a bit worried about oil prices after the big $11 jump in last Friday's trading.

The Group of Eight rich nations met in northern Japan with representatives from China, India and South Korea to discuss oil and gas markets, energy investment, energy security and climate change amid deepening concerns about the world economy.

...

"The situation regarding energy prices is becoming extremely challenging," Akira Amari, Japan's trade and energy minister, warned his colleagues Sunday. "If left unaddressed, it may well cause a recession in the global economy."

Five top energy consumers -- the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and India -- urged oil producers on Saturday to boost output to meet growing demand, while pledging to develop clean energy alternatives and increase efficiency.

I've got to laugh at that last little bit about asking for producing nations to boost output while we increase efficiency and look for alternatives. Sure. The dirty little secret is that there really isn't any spare production capacity. And even if there were, there is no incentive for OPEC nations to comply to lower prices as they can sell as much as they can pump out at these already inflated amounts.

As for the industrialized countries promising to "really, really be good and increase efficiency this time and we really, really mean it" that is just a complete joke. Anyone remember Pres. Carter 30 years ago pledging that the US would launch a massive effort to make us energy independent in 25 years? That lasted for just a brief moment until Reagan moved into the White House, ripped the new solar panels off the roof, and promised an eternal supply of cheap imported oil.

The window of opportunity has closed to use the relative abundance of cheap petroleum to develop technology and infrastructure necessary for alternative and clean energy. Yes, there is some interesting technology out there but how will we keep our industrial energy-intensive world going in the meantime?