Energysense.net A Common Sense and Technically Sound Energy Plan
Home		Electric Energy is created from a generation source and used in the same instant of time.  This makes electricity a unique energy system. Gasoline, natural gas, diesel, etc. all involve storage before consumption.
Introduction Transportation Electricity Issues to Resolve Energy Sense Blog	This website is designed to provide an energy plan that is based on the technical delivery  and supply realities that are the rules of the road on how things operate in our world.  Principals of engineering, physics, and economics must be used when considering the objectives of reducing our dependence on foreign oil, or increasing the usage of renewable energy.  We live in a sound byte society trying to solve huge problems with a you tube video.  We won't solve energy issues in a simple video or sound byte.  Stay tuned, engage your mind, and think about the big picture.  We shouldn't assume we have been so far off in our current approach that we need to start over.  Without a solid understanding of our current world, we will not be able to make good decisions.
	· The Plan Transportation § The US uses 17.7 Quads of Gasoline each year, or 141.6 billion gallons.  This is an enormous amount of energy, and there will not be a simple fix to this sector of energy.  Our current vehicle usage is a staggering 2,700 Billion vehicle miles per year.  The 2020 projection is that the US will be driving 4,070 Billion vehicle miles per year.  With the required CAFE standards, the projected energy usage for 2030 is 16 Quads!!   This is an astounding increase in efficiency, and depends on the average miles per gallon of the entire vehicle fleet to increase from the current new car value of 30.5 miles per gallon to 42 miles per gallon by 2030.  Geting 42 miles per gallon in a new vehicle is a very challenging standard, and will likely require vehicles to be radically smaller and use of hybrid power.  There are physical limits on the efficiency of gasoline engines, and other fuels such as natural gas do not change the efficiency.  § Ethanol currently provides 0.9 Quads, and is projected to provide 1.1 Quads by 2030.  The Energy Act of 2005 requires that 5 Quads of energy be provided with ethanol, and yet experts are saying that only 2 Quads can come from corn based ethanol.  Cellulostic Ethanol is a technology where ethanol can be produced from raw materials such as corn stover, wood waste products, switchgrass, or other biomass sources.  This technology is not proven in large scale, and without this development, it appears that the mandated amount of 5 Quads is not attainable.  § If natural gas is used to provide more fuel for transportation, it will drive up the demand for natural gas.  Natural gas is produced domestically, and would reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  Increasing the demand for natural gas will require additional pipelines from the sources to the customers, and would also require building infrastructure to deliver natural gas to the vehicles.   In the time period when natural gas usage was increased from nearly zero to 7 Quads, the price of natural gas increased from about $2/million Btu to as high as $12/million Btu.  Current prices of natural gas are in the range of $5-6/million Btu.   Prices for natural gas in the short-term tend to vary in similar magnitudes as gasoline prices.  § Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) are electric vehicles that can be charged during times when electricity usage is lower, and can also provide additional electric power to the system during times when electric usage is higher.  This can help to improve the utilization of electricity generation resources.  If the PHEV is used to bring additional electric generation to the electric system, it requires that the PHEV charge the battery using gasoline.  The end result of this is that  Gasoline is required for times when a PHEV is producing electricity.  There is no magic source of energy with a PHEV, and there could be a shifting of needing more gasoline, and less natural gas for a high penetration of PHEV.  High numbers of PHEV added to the system may end up driving up the need for more electric generation resources.  There are not zillions of power plants "sitting around" waiting for a PHEV to charge at night.  In raw terms, if 30% of the electric vehicle usage would be provided by PHEV, 30% of 17.7 or 5.31 quads of energy would be needed from the electricity sector from nuclear, coal, natural gas, or renewables.  See the Electricity Section for more information on the limited amount of renewables that can be added to the system.  1. Natural Gas Currently 24 Quads of Natural Gas being used, 7 for Electricity.  More natural gas usage will require transportation infrastructure.  Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from overseas appears to be facing resistance of developing shipping ports.  2. Nuclear  Requires new nuclear generation  Existing Nuclear is already fully utilized. 3. Wind and Solar  Usage is for current electricity demand  without storage technology, maximum usage limited by the intermittent nature of wind and solar § Wind does not change the need for crude oil or gasoline and has no relation to reducing our dependence on foreign oil.  Foreign oil is used for vehicles, and electricity usage from wind will not reduce foreign oil imports because vehicles are not fueled by electricity.    § Nuclear also does not change our need for crude oil or gasoline and not reduce our need for foreign oil.   This is the same reasoning, oil is used for transporation, and electricity from any source does not reduce our usage on foreign oil, unless there is a proportionate increase in electric vehicle usage.
Webpage Comments	· Developed by Thomas J. Butz P.E     tbutz@energysense.net