R-Squared

• EPA Delays Ethanol Ruling

  Number of comments: 7
  In a move that wasn't really a surprise, today the EPA announced that they are not yet ready to approve ethanol blends above E10 for automobiles:
  
  EPA Notifies Industry Group on Status of Ethanol Waiver Request
  WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it' [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 8:07pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Three Gallons Per Mile

  Number of comments: 41
  Often when I am flying, I think about the amount of fuel that the airplane is burning. Then when I am off the plane, I usually forget about it. I have heard mixed opinions on the overall efficiency of airline travel versus automobile travel, but just never got around to [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 4:10pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Son of Xethanol Goes Bankrupt

  Number of comments: 59
  I have written several essays on Xethanol over the past few years. If you recall, they were a poster child for the theme of "overpromise, boost your stock price, and get rich quick" on biofuels.
  
  For me, this story dates back to 2006, when an investigative journalist working for [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 1:11pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Potential Markets and Benefits from Ocean Thermal Energy

  Number of comments: 29
  Happy Thanksgiving to those who will celebrate it tomorrow. I plan to spend the long weekend with my family, and probably won't be on here much.
  
  In the interim, two things. First is that it is about time to start thinking about the top energy stories of the year.' [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 3:05pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Catching Up

  Number of comments: 118
  Back home now, just trying to catch up on the energy news of note. Four stories that I want to highlight. First was POET's announcement on their progress on cellulosic ethanol:
  
  Poet hits 'long shot,' cuts cellulosic ethanol costs
  
  WASHINGTON - The head of the world's largest [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:20am EST
  by Robert Rapier

• CNN on The Long Recession

  Number of comments: 79
  One of the themes I have been hitting during my recent presentations concerns the oil price risk hanging over our heads. My hypothesis goes something like this. The days of huge supply excesses in the oil production world are over. Those 5 million barrel per day supply cushions of 10 [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 12:03pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Slides from the Pacific Rim Summit

  Number of comments: 46
  I am hopping on a plane again today, this time bound for the Orlando Energy Conference. The topic I will present is An Overview of Global Energy Issues. Good thing they asked for something easy and non-controversial. :-)
  
  This is the last trip I have scheduled for this [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 4:02pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Book Review: Oil on the Brain

  Number of comments: 31
  
  
  Oil on the Brain by Lisa Margonelli was recommended by Paul Sankey at the 2009 Energy Information Administration Conference as a book that provided great insight into the oil industry.' [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:17pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Algal Tidbits from the Pacific Rim Summit

  Number of comments: 8
  My presentation is tomorrow, but I have sat through some very interesting presentations over the past couple of days here at the Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy. They have five panels going at once, but I have been sitting in on the cellulosic ethanol, algal fuel, [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 12:22am EST
  by Robert Rapier

• These Engineers Still Need Jobs

  Number of comments: 13
  Once again, I am asking for help in placing some of my former engineers who lost jobs in July. As you know, this is a difficult job market across most sectors. Unemployment numbers were released today, and the unemployment rate went over 10% for the first time since 1983.
  [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:53pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Merica Acquires Majority Stake in Choren

  Number of comments: 16
  Today it was announced that my new company, Merica International, has acquired Shell's stake in Choren Industries. This is something we have been actively pursuing for some time. This transaction gives Merica a great deal more flexibility than we had previously.
  
  The primary reason for the acquisition is' [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 8:20pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• The Energy Conundrum

  Number of comments: 24
  The following is a guest post by Paul Winstanley, the Director of Energy Initiatives from the Stevens Institute of Technology.
  
  1. Introduction
  
  This paper was written as preparation for the recent Discover and Shell sponsored “Fossil Fuels 2050” event in October 2009 at Stevens Institute of [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 3:42am EST
  by Robert Rapier

• We're Number One!

  Number of comments: 48
  The U.S., that is, in total fossil fuel resources. At least those were the findings of the Congressional Research Service in a report they just released:
  
  U.S. Fossil Fuel Resources: Terminology, Reporting, and Summary
  
  The primary reason is our huge coal reserves. While we are 12th [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:29pm EST
  by Robert Rapier

• Toward a Sustainability Bioenergy Platform

  Number of comments: 49
  The slides I presented on September 27th at the First Nations' Futures Program at Stanford University are available for viewing for anyone interested:
  
  Toward a Sustainability Bioenergy Platform
  
  To summarize, the purpose of the First Nations' Futures Program is "to establish a world class fellowship program" [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 6:08pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Interview With an Algae CEO

  Number of comments: 59
  So I am finally back home for the next 10 days, and slowly catching up. I had a good trip to Panama and then to Stanford. I had my luggage sniffed by dogs when I connected in El Salvador, and then when connecting in LAX Gwen Stefani and [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 6:18pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The Future of Energy

  Number of comments: 9
  I am back in Hawaii, and over the next couple of days I will climb out from under an avalanche of correspondence. I have a couple of essays to get out, including an interview that I conducted with the CEO from an algae company. What he said may surprise you.
  [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 10:40pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Catching Up

  Number of comments: 34
  Folks, I know it has been almost a week since I posted anything new, and it will still be a couple more days. I have had a productive trip to Central America, and am at Stanford this morning to give a talk on sustainability. It will be the first time [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:50am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Don't Weep for the Trees

  Number of comments: 127
  While I have no intention of changing the general theme of this blog, I will spend some essays in the future providing more details behind my new job in Hawaii. I did this on occasion with my previous job at Accsys, but the focus of the blog remained on [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 4:02pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Lifting the Veil

  Number of comments: 41
  Over the next six weeks, I will start to talk publicly about what we are putting together in Hawaii. There isn't a specific strategic reason for doing so at this time, nor is it for the purpose of soliciting investors. The deal is that I have three speaking engagements between' [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 3:17am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• A High School Senior Asks About Peak Oil

  Number of comments: 47
  I tend to get a lot of e-mails, and I try to make a point to answer them all. Sometimes, the e-mail is a question that I can quickly answer. Sometimes it is a request for comments on a specific technology. But sometimes I get one that someone put a [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 3:01am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• A Massive Decline in Carbon Emissions?

  Number of comments: 49
  A couple of years ago, I wrote an essay that ultimately turned out to be very controversial:
  
  Why We Will Never Address Global Warming
  
  That same essay published at The Oil Drum received 560 comments, and was until recently the most-commented upon post in The Oil [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 5:16pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Ethanol and Petroleum Imports

  Number of comments: 82
  This is the concluding post in a series looking at the impact of increased ethanol production on petroleum imports. Previous posts concluded that there has been little measurable impact on our petroleum imports as a result of increased ethanol production. In this post, I provide a spreadsheet to all the [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 12:08am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Exposing a Two-Bit Scammer

  Number of comments: 0
  My regular readers can ignore this, as it has nothing to do with energy or the environment.
  
  This post is about a small-time scammer who tried to rip me off - and who has been ripping others off for years. After I didn't roll over for him, he resorted' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 3:13am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Book Review – Power of the People

  Number of comments: 86
  I will finish up my long-promised concluding post in the recent series on ethanol and oil imports. I have been traveling for ten days, and inadvertently left all of my graphics for that post on another computer. I am back home now, and will try to tidy it up [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 2:24pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• What Would Ron Wyden Do?

  Number of comments: 18
  The refining sector has been in the news a few times this week, and not in a good way:
  
  A Fine Mess For U.S. Refineries
  
  HOUSTON -- Excess capacity, weak demand for fuels and rising product inventories continue to squeeze margins for U.S. oil refiners.
  
  Sunoco, [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 9:07pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• What Happened to a Buck a Gallon?

  Number of comments: 14
  Coskata will produce ethanol for under US $1.00 a gallon anywhere in the world, from almost any input material. - Coskata Vision Statement
  
  A bit more than a year ago, I read a number of claims from ethanol start-up Coskata stating that they would be able to produce [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 5:28pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Energy Potpourri

  Number of comments: 115
  I am at the 2009 Gasification Technologies Conference this week, with a pretty full schedule. But there are three stories that I wanted to quickly hit. One is a follow-up on the previous cellulosic ethanol post, one is about Paul Sankey’s new report on peak demand, and the [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 8:06pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Cellulosic Ethanol Falling Short

  Number of comments: 77
  The reason I spend time debunking wild claims is that I think they damage the entire bioenergy sector in the long run. People who issue press releases claiming they can produce fuel for $1/gallon - and by the way we can do it next year if you give us the [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 5:07pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Ethanol, Imports, and the MTBE Effect

  Number of comments: 75
  I am traveling later this week, and will be on the road for nine days (Colorado, New York, Massachusetts). I was trying to wrap up the loose ends from my previous post with a much more comprehensive look at the ethanol/import issue before I travel. However, there are a couple [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2009, 12:01am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Does Ethanol Reduce Petroleum Imports?

  Number of comments: 202
  One of the main arguments in favor of ethanol production in the U.S. is that it supports the goals of energy independence by getting us off of foreign oil. After all, we could just tell the entire Mideast to take a hike while we grow our own fuel. In fact, [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 10:15pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• CNG in Your Beer

  Number of comments: 75
  Thanks to a reader for this story:
  
  Cheap Natural Gas Drives Truck Alternatives
  NEW YORK (Dow Jones) - If you order a beer in New York, the odds are growing that it was delivered by a truck running on natural gas.
  
  Beer distributors are among a growing [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 3:13pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Gas Taxes and Long Range Energy Planning

  Number of comments: 32
  I consider the level of dependence of the U.S. on imported petroleum to be a very large financial risk endangering the country's future. There are certainly other import-related risks as well, but here I want to talk about the financial risk.
  
  I consider it similar to having a mortgage [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2009, 5:45pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Book Review: Crude World

  Number of comments: 56
  
  
  Introduction
  
  It succors and drowns human life. And for the last eight years, oil — and the people and places that make it — was my obsession. - Peter Maass
  
  Today a new book by [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 3:01am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• About That $72 Billion Subsidy

  Number of comments: 47
  I am going to be pretty busy for the next few days, and probably won't be able to put anything new up until at least mid-week. Until then, over the past few days there have been a lot of headlines about a recently released study from the Environmental Law Institute.' [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 1:06am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The API on Cap and Trade

  Number of comments: 28
  Yesterday the American Petroleum Institute conducted a blogger's conference call to talk about various energy issues that they are focused on. I used to regularly attend these calls, but things have been quite busy and it has been a while since I participated. But I thought it would be [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 8:44pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Another "New" Thermochemical Approach

  Number of comments: 5
  Thanks to a reader for bringing this story to my attention:
  
  Segetis: Making a Brand New Biochemical
  
  The Minnesota-based startup turns cellulosic biomass into something called levulinic ketal, a brand-new molecule that can be made into a host of industrial chemicals.
  
  Segetis wants to make [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 2:44pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Brazil Flexing Its Muscles

  Number of comments: 14
  A couple of years ago I was thinking about the possible fates of various nations in a world in which depleting oil reserves begin to have a very strong impact on oil prices. I had visions of $100+ oil and eventually $5-10 gasoline, which would place a crushing burden on [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 9:22pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Corn Ethanol Breakthrough?

  Number of comments: 39
  I just read an interesting story from Reuters courtesy of a reader:
  
  UK technology could turn U.S. ethanol industry green
  
  DUNSFOLD PARK, England (Reuters) - A compost bacteria bred by a British company could be set to transform both the profitability and environmental credentials of the U.S. [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 10:14pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• An Urban Legend Falls

  Number of comments: 144
  
  
  Figure 1. Classical Outlier or Amazing New Discovery?
  
  On November 16, 2007 a study was released that stirred up a lot of excitement in ethanol circles. The study was titled Optimal Ethanol Blend-Level Investigation. The study was commissioned by the American [...]
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  Posted: September 13, 2009, 4:46pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in the U.S.

  Number of comments: 78
  I received a two-week reprieve on the book chapter deadline, as some of the other contributors aren't finished. So I now have time to pick a few other things back up. I have ended up really reworking the structure of the chapter to discuss the size of the biomass resource' [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 2:55am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Soliciting Reader Input for Bioenergy Chapter

  Number of comments: 59
  9/8 Update: Lichtblick/VW announcement is now in the English version of Der Spiegel:
  
  A Power Station in Your Basement
  
  Green-energy provider Lichtblick and German automaker Volkswagen are joining forces and promising to stir up the energy market with an unusual plan. Instead of relying on massive energy [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 1:39am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Biofuel Niches

  Number of comments: 112
  This is the final installment of a three-part series that examines some of the renewable energy options that are presenting themselves as possible contenders to step up as petroleum steps down the depletion curve. The previous installments were:
  
  Biofuel Pretenders
  
  Biofuel Contenders
  
  Today I want [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 5:00am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• BP's 'Giant' Discovery Gives the Gulf of Mexico New Life

  Number of comments: 14
  I am trying to climb out from under an avalanche of correspondence, and I also hope to have the "Niches" article done by Monday morning. Until then, the latest from Money Morning on BP's new oil discovery. As I previously explained topical Money Morning content will be featured [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 7:50pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Biofuel Contenders

  Number of comments: 125
  Introduction
  
  I got quite a few interesting e-mails and comments following my previous essay: Biofuel Pretenders. I probably should have mentioned - but I thought it went without saying - that pretenders usually don't think they are pretenders and will therefore protest mightily at the characterization. A number' [...]
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  Posted: September 03, 2009, 4:10am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Is Venezuela's Stagflation the Beginning of the End for Chavez?

  Number of comments: 7
  I am just finishing up Biofuel Contenders, and should have that up later today or first thing tomorrow. Until then, a topical post from the latest from Money Morning, which as I previously explained will be featured here whenever they have relevant material to offer. As always, normal [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 1:55pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Biofuel Pretenders

  Number of comments: 144
  Note
  
  This article was initially titled "Pretenders, Contenders, and Niches." However, the section on pretenders grew to the point that I have decided to split the essay up into three parts. The first part, Biofuel Pretenders, will cover many of the current media and political darlings. The second part, [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 2:28am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• A Pair of Odd Energy Stories

  Number of comments: 17
  I am working on a story inspired by last week's Wall Street Journal article:
  
  U.S. Biofuel Boom Running on Empty
  
  It is taking longer than anticipated, but hopefully I will have something up tonight or early tomorrow. Until then, I thought I would share a couple of [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2009, 12:52pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• An E-Fuel MicroFueler Dealer Responds

  Number of comments: 68
  After publishing the previous story, I went back and searched through my Gmail to see when I had first heard about the E-Fuel MicroFueler. It turns out that about a year ago a regular reader of my blog - and someone I had exchanged a number of e-mails with [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2009, 1:00pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Another Journalist Fails Due Diligence 101

  Number of comments: 71
  I have had a number of people ask me about the E-Fuel MicroFueler, so at one point I did a bit of investigating. It is essentially a small still, but apparently has a fermentation capability if the feedstock contains sugar. However, they stress that it works best with wastes [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2009, 3:47am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• My Point Exactly

  Number of comments: 38
  I missed this story when it came out last week:
  
  Hydrocarbon biofuels' promise tops that of ethanol, gasoline
  
  John Regalbuto, a chemical engineer at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and director of the NSF catalysis and biocatalysis program, wrote in Science that biomass-derived fuels are not far' [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2009, 4:38pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Disruptive Technologies Are So Overrated

  Number of comments: 29
  It's the end of a very long day, but I couldn't resist commenting on the recent story from Joule Biotechnologies:
  
  Joule Biotechnologies Introduces Revolutionary Process for Producing Renewable Transportation Fuels
  
  CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joule Biotechnologies, Inc., an innovative bioengineering startup developing game-changing alternative energy solutions, today unveiled its' [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2009, 2:59am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Rentech Making Waves

  Number of comments: 57
  The following story posed a bit of a dilemma for me. In my new role, there will be potential conflicts of interest in some of the stories I may post, and until I elaborate on what I am doing, I am trying to avoid posting anything that might fall into [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 11:47pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Notes on Energy Efficiency

  Number of comments: 20
  I arrived in one piece in Hawaii a few days ago, and have been settling in. It is still hard to believe I am here, and I plan to elaborate a bit on why I am here in the near future.
  
  In the interim - and because I haven't' [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 1:58am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• A Better Alternative to Cash for Clunkers

  Number of comments: 70
  Today is my last day of work as Engineering Director for Accsys Technologies/Titan Wood. After today, I will continue to maintain an advisory relationship with the company, as I still thoroughly believe in the company and the technology, and I want to help them succeed.
  
  However, [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2009, 10:02am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 4

  Number of comments: 141
  This marks the final installment of answers to questions recently submitted by readers. This final installment covers the impact of E10 on fuel efficiency, my general optimism (or lack thereof), algal fuel, thermodynamics and energy limitations, Accoya, and litigation. Once again, thanks to the readers who submitted questions, [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 6:53pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Our Ironic Energy Policy

  Number of comments: 12
  Energy policies in the U.S. often seek to punish our domestic oil and gas producers, while at the same time we work hard with foreign producers to ensure that the oil continues to flow. I noted in a recent essay:
  
  It is ironic that Steven Chu [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 12:38pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Running the Electric Grid with eSolar

  Number of comments: 29
  As I often do on a Saturday morning, I was up early reading through energy headlines. I happened across this story on eSolar:
  
  Bill Gross's Solar Breakthrough
  
  "We are producing the lowest cost solar electrons in the history of the world," Bill Gross is telling me. "Nobody's'" [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 1:00pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Britain's Impending Energy Crisis

  Number of comments: 43
  In case you missed the story yesterday in the Economist:
  
  How long till the lights go out?
  
  North Sea gas has served Britain well, but supply peaked in 1999. Since then the flow has fallen by half; by 2015 it will have dropped by two-thirds. By 2015 [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 3

  Number of comments: 7
  This was supposed to be the final installment of answers to the questions recently submitted by readers, but the answer to the first question went a little long. Here are the links to the previous installments:
  
  Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 1
  
  Answering Reader Questions [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 12:01am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Rate Crimes: Impeding the Solar Tipping Point

  Number of comments: 53
  The following guest essay was written by Paul Symanski. Paul is an electrical engineer with expertise in solar energy, and shares his views on why solar power often faces unnecessary headwinds.
  
  ----------------
  
  To anyone who has ever spent a day in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, it [...]
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  Posted: August 05, 2009, 11:26pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• What's 72 Million Gallons Anyway?

  Number of comments: 40
  I just read a story this morning suggesting that the "Cash for Clunkers" program is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only a trivial amount:
  
  ‘Cash for clunkers’ effect on pollution? A blip
  
  While the focus of the story is that this won't do much for' [...]
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  Posted: August 05, 2009, 9:35am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 2

  Number of comments: 40
  In this installment, I continue to work my way through the list of questions recently submitted by readers. This post picks up where Part 1 left off, and covers coal-to-liquids, technology hype, green gasoline, refining improvements, allocation of money toward renewables, electricity consumption, the Automotive X Prize, Big [...]
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  Posted: August 03, 2009, 8:20pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Bloggers Go to Billings

  Number of comments: 9
  I should have Part 2 of the series of answering readers' questions posted by tomorrow, but until then I was just sent the following link, which was of great personal interest to me:
  
  A Green Refinery?
  
  The gist is that last year the American Petroleum Institute flew' [...]
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  Posted: August 03, 2009, 8:22am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Answering Reader Questions 2009: Part 1

  Number of comments: 24
  Before I took a recent trip to Canada, I opened up the floor for questions. Getting them answered has taken longer than I intended. Fortunately, other readers answered a lot of them in the comments of that thread. So I have sifted through the list, trying to find questions [...]
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  Posted: August 01, 2009, 9:00am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• King Corn and Big Oil

  Number of comments: 106
  Over the weekend, I watched the documentary King Corn. It was released in October 2007, but I just now got around to watching it online at Netflix. The premise is that a pair of college friends from the East Coast wanted to learn more about where our food comes [...]
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  Posted: July 28, 2009, 1:17am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Engineering Rules

  Number of comments: 10
  Average Starting Salaries for This Year's Graduates
  
  From a CNN story this week, that graphic represents a landslide. To the person who asked in the recent Q&A (OK, the "A" is still pending) what they should study in school, might I suggest [...]
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  Posted: July 27, 2009, 10:04pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The Gold in the Oceans

  Number of comments: 36
  There was an announcement this past week that Solix Biofuels has started oil production at a facility in Colorado:
  
  Solix Biofuels begins production of oil made from algae
  
  Solix Biofuels Inc. said Thursday it has started the production of oil made from algae at its Coyote Gulch [...]
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  Posted: July 26, 2009, 9:20am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Looking for Help After a Difficult Week

  Number of comments: 8
  I am coming to the end of the most difficult week of my career, which is why I haven't written much for the past few days. I had to sit across the table from some very good people and tell them they no longer had jobs. It wasn't the first [...]
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  Posted: July 23, 2009, 9:45pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• China Tightens Grip on Africa's Energy Resources with Stake in Offshore Field

  Number of comments: 31
  Today a topical post the latest from Money Morning, which as I previously explained will be featured here whenever they have relevant material to offer. As always, normal caveats apply: I am not an investment advisor. I don't endorse any specific stocks mentioned in the following story nor' [...]
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  Posted: July 22, 2009, 1:19pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Behind the Costs of CNG Conversions

  Number of comments: 26
  In my recent post - How Much Natural Gas to Replace Gasoline? - I mentioned that it is quite expensive to convert a gasoline-powered vehicle to natural gas. If you drive a tremendous number of miles each year - as many fleets do - the conversion will pay for [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2009, 6:56pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Overview of Electricity Storage Technology and India's Renewable Energy Goals

  Number of comments: 51
  There is a good overview in today's Guardian regarding the status of affairs with respect to electricity storage technologies:
  
  The challenge for green energy: how to store excess electricity
  
  So with grid parity now looming, finding ways to store millions of watts of excess electricity for times [...]
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  Posted: July 19, 2009, 11:28am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• An Extended Conversation with POET

  Number of comments: 28
  Today (July 17th) I spent some time on the phone with POET's VP of Science and Technology Dr. Mark Stowers. (I was invited up for a visit, but I couldn't swing that just now). Dr. Stowers is in charge of company R&D, which includes corn and cellulose to ethanol, [...]
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  Posted: July 17, 2009, 2:32pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The Dominant Fuel in 2030

  Number of comments: 34
  I just spent a fruitful week in Canada, learning about some of the biomass resources in Alberta. There are some interesting opportunities there for the right technology, and I expect that I will be making future trips up there.
  
  One of the questions I was asked this week by [...]
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  Posted: July 16, 2009, 8:56pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Off to Canada, but the Floor is Open for Questions

  Number of comments: 110
  I am flying to Alberta in the morning and will be there through the middle of the week, trying to learn more about the renewable energy opportunities there. I doubt I will put up anything new until I return. So I thought this might be a good time to solicit [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2009, 9:48pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Technical Feasibility is the Easy Part

  Number of comments: 40
  A couple of people have now written to ask for comments on the story from Green Car Congress about the Polish CO2 to methanol scheme. Here is the story:
  
  Report: Polish Power Plant and University to Cooperate on CO2 to Methanol Trial
  
  Here is the bit I [...]
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  Posted: July 09, 2009, 8:27am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Cello: A Lesson in Due Diligence

  Number of comments: 40
  People sometimes ask me how - if they don't have any particular technical expertise - one determines whether companies are making fraudulent claims. I tell them that the simple test of "If it looks too good to be true..." will work in the vast majority of cases. In the case' [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 6:32am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• “Your Passion is Energy”

  Number of comments: 54
  Saying Goodbye Again
  
  Today is Independence Day in the U.S., but I am spending it in the Netherlands without my family. This has become an all-too-familiar situation for me. I have spent far too many birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays in remote locations away from my family. The time has [...]
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  Posted: July 04, 2009, 4:37am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Thermodynamics Wins Again

  Number of comments: 47
  Back in 2006, the Irish company Steorn announced that they had discovered a “a technology that produces free, clean and constant energy.” A magnetism-based perpetual motion machine is what it amounted to, which would clearly violate various physical laws, such as the First and Second Law of [...]
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  Posted: July 02, 2009, 5:18am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• What If I'm Wrong?

  Number of comments: 43
  Risk Assessments
  
  I spend a lot of time playing "What if?" We all do this. I do this when I am driving - "What if that car at the next intersection pulls out in front of me?" - when I am working - "What if that high pressure line" [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 7:23am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Tariffs in the Climate Bill

  Number of comments: 30
  A number of people have written to ask why I haven't commented on the climate bill. There are two reasons. First, the House and Senate versions are very different, so the final form may not resemble the version the House just passed. Second, I haven't had the time to read [...]
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  Posted: June 29, 2009, 4:01am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Geothermal's Earthquake Problem

  Number of comments: 51
  In a recent post - It's Always Something - I argued that for seemingly every renewable option, there is a trade-off. In that particular essay I was discussing a recent report that suggested that jatropha curcas - which I have written about as an intriguing option for renewable, [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2009, 4:08am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Wood Gasification Plant Opens

  Number of comments: 36
  Been really tied up, but saw this story yesterday and wanted to bring attention to it. I think it is significant, and a sign of things to come. Not much time to comment, but some excerpts from the article:
  
  Plant making gas from wood opens in Austria
  
  [...]
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  Posted: June 25, 2009, 12:22pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• John Benemann Responds to Green Algae Strategy Review

  Number of comments: 9
  I recently published a review of Mark Edward's book Green Algae Strategy: End Oil Imports And Engineer Sustainable Food And Fuel. Following this review, I published a response from Mark Edwards. In that response, Professor Edwards mentioned Dr. John Benemann, who was Principal Investigator [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 3:05am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• U.S. Ramping Up Wind Power Programs Even As Concerns Surface About Possible Declines In U.S. Wind Strength

  Number of comments: 25
  Once again at DFW Airport, about to make my way back to Europe. So I will be offline for just a bit, but wanted to post the latest from Money Morning, which as I recently explained will be featured here whenever they have topical material to offer. As [...]
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  Posted: June 22, 2009, 1:54pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• ExxonMobil in the Electric Car Business?

  Number of comments: 9
  An interesting link from a reader this morning:
  
  The Maya 300: An Exxon-Assisted Electric Car
  
  If you've picked up a magazine in the last year, you've likely seen ads touting ExxonMobil's (XOM) research into lithium-ion batteries.
  
  This week, you will get a further look into how' [...]
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  Posted: June 22, 2009, 9:18am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• How Much Natural Gas to Replace Gasoline?

  Number of comments: 63
  
  I Took This Picture of a CNG Bus on a Recent Trip to D.C.
  
  You may have seen the news this week that a report by the Potential Gas Committee says natural gas reserves in 2008 rose to 2,074 trillion cubic feet. The [...]
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  Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:37am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Oil Companies Acquire More Ethanol Plants

  Number of comments: 13
  As I noted in my essay Big Oil Buys Big Ethanol, I expected that we would see more oil companies buying up troubled ethanol assets. Per the Houston Chronicle, Sunoco has become the latest:
  
  Oil companies shop for discounted ethanol plants
  
  FULTON, N.Y. — When [...]
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  Posted: June 19, 2009, 9:39am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• POET Sets the Standard

  Number of comments: 38
  In a recent post (but certainly not the first time I mentioned this), I wrote:
  
  Corn ethanol producers have to move away from fossil fuel inputs - or they need to otherwise find inputs that don't normally track gasoline prices. This is why the sugarcane ethanol producer can' [...]
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  Posted: June 17, 2009, 12:15pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Mulva on Replacing Oil

  Number of comments: 13
  My former CEO Jim Mulva spoke today at the National Summit in Detroit, and had some newsworthy comments. Bloomberg reported on his talk:
  
  Conoco Chief Says Replacing Oil May Take a Century
  
  June 16 (Bloomberg) -- ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, said it may [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 6:46pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Response to Green Algae Strategy Review

  Number of comments: 28
  I have received a response from Mark Edwards, auther of Green Algae Strategy: End Oil Imports And Engineer Sustainable Food And Fuel. I reviewed the book here recently, and as I indicated in the conclusion of the review I would gladly post any of Mark's' [...]
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  Posted: June 15, 2009, 8:14am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Solar Stories

  Number of comments: 26
  A couple of interesting solar stories this morning, as well as a new blog covering solar power. First, the new solar-focused blog by Paul Symanski. Paul has experience in the solar industry, and many of his early entries are concerned with solar energy economics:
  
  Rate Crimes - Bringing [...]
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  Posted: June 12, 2009, 11:33am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• It's Always Something

  Number of comments: 16
  I spend a lot of time thinking about the trade-offs involved with different energy options. Take petroleum, for instance. It offers great convenience, and has been relatively inexpensive for decades. Cheap petroleum has enabled numerous people a level of mobility that had never before been possible. Some of the downsides, [...]
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  Posted: June 11, 2009, 9:34am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Time to Switch to Natural Gas?

  Number of comments: 23
  A couple of articles, both at Seeking Alpha, got me to thinking about whether it might be time to trade in my Petrobras (PBR) stock for something in the natural gas sector. From the first of the two articles:
  
  Natural Gas Should Get a Boost from [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2009, 4:17pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• The Long Recession

  Number of comments: 20
  Sometimes people ask me what I think will happen as a result of peak oil. Well, it depends. We could see alternatives - natural gas, ethanol, GTL, CTL, etc. - fill the gap of falling oil supplies for a while. It just depends on how quickly production falls. But if [...]
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  Posted: June 09, 2009, 7:49pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• How to Calculate Ethanol's Value

  Number of comments: 77
  There was a comment following the previous post that claimed that ethanol producers are making money - minus subsidies - at $1.75 a gallon. I attempted to set the record straight in the comments, but I thought this was probably worth a post.
  
  The way the blender's credit' [...]
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  Posted: June 07, 2009, 2:46pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Book Review: Green Algae Strategy

  Number of comments: 60
  
  
  Introduction
  
  I love to read. I particularly enjoy books about energy, sustainability, and the environment. One of the benefits of reviewing books is that I end up getting a lot of free [...]
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  Posted: June 04, 2009, 6:11pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Accoya, Ethanol, and an Anniversary

  Number of comments: 44
  Coming up I have a book review ready to go for Green Algae Strategy: End Oil Imports And Engineer Sustainable Food And Fuel. However, I will wait another day or so to put that out there. For now, I will just share a couple of interesting [...]
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  Posted: June 03, 2009, 1:47am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Obama's Secret Meeting With the Oil Industry

  Number of comments: 45
  Sometimes I come across information that isn't publicly known. That occasionally happens because I am digging, and I uncover something newsworthy. I can generally report on those kinds of things. But sometimes it is because someone sends me information that is confidential - or they tell me something they learned' [...]
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  Posted: June 01, 2009, 4:18am EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Oil Moving Back Up

  Number of comments: 36
  On my latest trip to Amsterdam this week I saw 19 oil tankers parked off the coast in the North Sea (ironically next to a Dutch offshore wind farm). These tankers are being used for floating storage due to the glut of oil in the market. Despite this, oil [...]
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  Posted: May 29, 2009, 2:52pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier

• Is the Dark Cloud Over Solar Energy Beginning to Break?

  Number of comments: 17
  Sitting in DFW Airport, about to make my way back to Europe. I will be offline for a day or so. This seems like a good time for the latest from Money Morning, which as I explained last week will be featured here once a week or so. [...]
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  Posted: May 27, 2009, 2:06pm EDT
  by Robert Rapier