Heard this on Morning Edition (NPR morning news program) just now.. Mr. Pickins has been in the oyl bizness for over 60 years and he "knows what we're up against". He described the situation as being one where it's impossible to increase oil production, while at the same time demand is increasing. He didn't say this but that is the definition of the peak oil phenomenon (see technosanity podcast on peak oil and review of Oil Crash).
His plan is to install a massive wind farm in Texas.
The NPR guy asked him a very good question. Since wind turbines produce electricity (not oil) how does increasing wind energy affect oil-fueled transportation?
Very good question... his answer was a bit circuitous. What he eventually said is ... increasing wind energy inputs to the national energy grid would allow the national energy grid to decrease natural gas use and then natural gas can be liquified to make a fuel for oil-fueled transportation.
Sigh... and to think he could have answered "we'll just switch to electric vehicles" ...
Yeah...he was on "Good Morning America" this morning as well. He didn't have to be asked on there about what fuel to use for transportation. He explained that the natural gas saved by using wind energy, etc. could be used to fuel vehicles.
And I seem to recall him talking about the natural gas as an immediate alternative while other technology was being developed, etc.
I actually took his comments as something very positive...regardless. At least he's telling some truth about oil...that we can drill all we want but there's not going to be enough to make the price go down. And, I like to hear an "oil" man talking about how great wind energy is!
Gushar
Gus
I heard this as well and thought it dovetailed nicely with the Technosanity podcast. What also caught my ear in the piece was the oil output from Saudi Arabia. They have doubled the number of oil wells in recent years, but the production remains fairly close to flat. T Boone didn't use the phrase "peak oil", but that's what I heard.
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
More power to the grid would fit nicely with GM's plans:
"The extended-range electric vehicle is no longer just a rumor. We have put tremendous design and engineering resources in place to make this vehicle a reality.
The Concept Chevy Volt, with its revolutionary E-Flex Propulsion System will be different than any previous
electric vehicle because it will use a lithium-ion battery
with a variety of range-extending onboard power
sources, including gas and, in some vehicles, E85
ethanol(1) to recharge the battery while driving.
When it comes to plugging in, the Volt will be designed to use a common 110–volt household plug. For someone who drives less than 40 miles a day, Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.(2) For longer trips, Chevy Volt's range-extending power source kicks in to recharge the lithium-ion battery pack as required."
Major players like these don't usually act independently. GM has set a target release date of 2010. Toyota is trying to beat them to market with their version. At least Pickins is not suggesting covering Texas with nuclear power plants.
Yet.
Wind power is now the world's fastest growing energy source and has also become one of the most rapidly expanding industries, with sales of roughly $2 billion in 1998." – Chris Flavin, Worldwatch Institute.
Every place where giant wind-gens and geo-thermal ORC (freon steam) can be built, they SHOULD be built, and as soon as possible.
When gasoline gets expensive again (guaranteed) people will be reluctantly dragged into buying the more-expensive/less effective options, such as EV's, CNG cars, and bio-diesel cars.
Even with gasoline becoming more expensive, some will cling to gasoline cars until there is rationing due to limited supplies.
The US has lots of natural gas (New York reserves recently found to be bigger than previously thought) CNG is low-power and short-range compared to the gasoline performance we have gotten spoiled to, but we actually have lots of it.
Bio-diesel is more expensive than gasoline now, and the more we use it, the greater impact it will have on food prices. Farmers want to grow food, but they are tired of seeing relatives lose their farms, and if ethanol/bio-diesel crops make a profit, profit while you can because who knows what policies will be in place next year or next decade?
Giant wind-gens are wonderful, we should use emergency government powers to over-ride legal constraints and build them where-ever they would work well (you dont build a hydro-electric dam in a dry region, it can only be on a river, sorry river folks).
When there is infrastructure built up around electrical capacity, we need back-up power for sudden wind-less condition. Current back-up is methane-burning gas-turbine (jet engine) that spins high-voltage generator. They can be quickly ramped up when wind begins slacking, plus they use an abundant fuel we actually have. Hot exhaust co-generates steam-power for added efficiency.
Giant Vanadium-redox batteries are being developed for additional back-up options, and solar-power time-shifting.
Not every location has geothermal heat close enough to the surface to work. Every place that DOES have Geo should have a plant under construction. Water-steam where the heat is high enough, and ORC (freon-steam) where neccessary.
The new "pebble-bed low-pressure helium reactors" are a smart choice, but they are just NOT going to happen due to overwhelming political opposition.
If gasoline/diesel is expensive/rationed, and we have available electricity and natural gas, that is where some consumers will go even if they really don't want to. A CNG car should mechanically last over 200K miles, but an EV would need its expensive battery replaced every so often, but I believe both will sell.