ENERGY INDUSTRY COMMENTS
RECENTLY THE AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION HELD A CONFERENCE WHICH SURPRISINGLY WAS HUGELY ATTENDED BY OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION COMPANIES PROMOTING THEIR PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.
ON REFLECTION, IT MAKES PERFECTLY GOOD SENSE.
WIND TURBINES AND SOLAR PANELS REQUIRE OIL, GREASE, HYDRAULIC FLUIDS AND INDUSTRIAL COATINGS, PLUS OTHER PETROLEUM DERIVATIVES TO MANUFACTURE ALL OF IT.
CLEAN ENERGY NEEDS CARBON-BASED CHEMISTRY TO WORK.
WHILE THERE ARE THOSE WHO STRONGLY OPPOSE COAL ENERGY IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THAT NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE NEED FOR COAL IN STEEL-MAKING. METALLURGICAL COAL MINING WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A VERY LONG FUTURE.
ALSO, THERE ARE THE ECONOMICS.
IN THE RECENT DISCOVERY OF THE WOLFCAMP SHALE FORMATION IN THE PERMIAN BASIN OF WEST TEXAS THE FUTURE RESERVES ESTIMATED TO CONSIST OF SOME 20 BILLION BARRELS OF OIL AND 15 TRILLION CUBIC FEET OF ASSOCIATED NATURAL GAS WILL BE HARD TO IGNORE WHEN THE PRICES FOR THE PRODUCTS HITS THE RIGHT LEVELS.
WHILE COMMUTERS CAN SWITCH EASILY TO ELECTRIC CARS WITHOUT MUCH FUSS, THE LONG-RANGE AND HEAVY-DUTY TRANSPORTATION STILL REQUIRES A LIQUID FUEL.
WHILE NATURAL GAS WILL ALSO BE HELPING TO REPLACE COAL FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION, TO SOME EXTENT IT'S THE SMARTEST BACK UP WE'VE FOUND FOR WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY SOURCES WHICH ARE EXPANDING EXPONENTIALLY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
OUR CHALLENGE WILL BE IN STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN OUR ENERGY SOURCES AND USING THE RIGHT ONE FOR THE RIGHT PURPOSE.
FOR OUR FREE MARKET ECONOMY, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PRICES WE PAY FOR EACH ENERGY SOURCE ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE IMPACT ON EACH THAT IT HAS ON OUR PLANET.
AT THIS TIME IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY MANY IN THE U.S. THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF BURNING FOSSIL FUELS ARE LARGELY PAID BY CONSUMERS THROUGH THE HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS AND HIGHER INSURANCE PREMIUMS.
INSTEAD OF CONSIDERING IMPOSING A CARBON TAX TO DISCOURAGE THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS AND CAPTURE SOME OF THE ASSSOCIATED COSTS, INSTEAD CONGRESS HAS PROVIDED TAX CREDITS TO WIND AND SOLAR TO MAKE THEM MORE COMPETITIVE, WHICH SOME CONSIDER UNFAIR.
CONSIDERED AS A PROBLEM IS THAT TOO MANY SUPPORTERS OF FOSSIL FUELS THINK ENVIRONMENTALISTS WANT TO ELIMINATE THEIR INDUSTRY.
AND, IN THAT REGARD IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SOME OF THESE ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR ELIMINATING FOSSIL FUEL USE.
REGARDLESS OF THOSE FEELINGS, SOLAR, WIND AND NUCLEAR, EVEN WITH THE SUBSIDIES PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GIVE THOSE INDUSTRIES AN ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR EFFORTS, THE ENERGY FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY WILL ENJOY SUCCESS.
