The Future Of Renewable Fuels And Hybrids

Do we have the resources? Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine which ran on biodiesel vegetable oil in the late 1800s. At the time, he speculated that his discovery seemed insignificant, but later could prove to be as important as mankind’s uncovering of future energy uses for petroleum and coal tar. Given the U.S.’ rapid expansion into biofuels, it would appear his vision was correct due to the drawbacks of biofuels. But widespread adoption of biomass-based fuels is not a foregone conclusion. Two questions haunt its progress. First, will it truly reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels? And second, is there enough farmland to accommodate widespread production, without jeopardizing food supplies? (more…)

General Categorization of Electricity Generation Using Alternative Energy Resources

The first step in categorizing potential benefits and costs is determining the relevant scope of the analysis. We have concluded that, at this level of analysis, it is appropriate to limit the scope to the benefits and costs associated with the types of electricity generation that offshore wind, waves, and ocean currents might be displacing. Therefore, we consider externalities associated with offshore alternative energy plus those associated with coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear, and conventional hydroelectric power. (more…)