3p Contributor: Jeff Siegel
Recent Articles
Breaking the Cost Barrier on Algae-based Biofuels
Algae-based biofuel.
It’s been a hot topic for a few years now. And certainly the potential for incorporating algae as a key feedstock for future biofuel production is massive.
But the sobering fact is that we’re at least a good eight to ten years from seeing any kind of real, commercially-ready product… At least at the volumes that could allow for meaningful market penetration.
So where does that leave us in the meantime?
Fortune favors the daring
Algae-based biofuels are often the target of naysayers who prefer to criticize early industry obstacles instead of looking for a way to profit from the developments and technologies that allow us to overcome those obstacles.
An Oily Voice at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
Last month, Congress announced it was preparing to increase the barrel tax on oil. Revenues would be used for future crises like the one in the Gulf.
In response to that announcement, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce slammed the idea, saying it was hastily put together. The VP of the chamber’s energy institute said that the tax could be passed on to consumers if the oil industry manages to raise gas prices in response to the tax increase.
Clearly we would expect the Chamber to be opposed to such a tax, so certainly this was not a surprising response… Although you’ll be hard-pressed to ever hear the Chamber weigh in on all those oil subsidies that have done a tremendous job at keeping us hooked on artificially low gasoline prices.
Yes, when you pilfer for oil interests, the Chamber doesn’t seem to get too upset.
Is Offshore Oil Dead in the Water?
BP recently announced that the energy giant would pay all necessary and appropriate clean-up costs from the Gulf oil spill.
Not sure if that was a reaction to the “stern warning” from the White House, or simply something some unlucky PR schlub had to pump out to the media in an attempt to try and calm the masses…
Either way, most folks could give a rat’s ass what BP says. It’ll be all about what they do. That will be the test.
Buying American Wind
Growing up in Essex, Maryland — a very blue collar section of Baltimore County — the phrase “Buy American” was more than just a rallying cry for those who championed domestic manufacturing.
It was simply how things were done.
Even when the oil crisis of the 1970s hit, you would’ve been hard-pressed to find a single vehicle on our block that didn’t scream Detroit — regardless of how horrible the fuel economy was on most of those vehicles back then. And for the few who dared to park a smaller, more fuel efficient Japanese car on our street… well, they were nearly shunned.
This was an old U.S. industrial town, with generations upon generations of factory workers raising families and doing the kind of work that most folks couldn’t do for an hour before calling it quits. Buying American was not just something you would say; it was something you had to embrace. Because for these folks, buying American meant job security.
A Free Market Earth Day List
Well it’s about that time again.
Earth Day is around the corner, so get ready for those obligatory Earth Day Resolution lists that will inevitably saturate the Internet on April 22.
Some will suggest turning off the water while brushing your teeth or lowering your thermostat. Others will tell you to try carpooling or recycling. And these are all great ideas. But at the end of the day, I’m still convinced that the best way to do right by Mother Earth is to use your power as a consumer.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Continues to Trivialize Renewables
Karen Harbert, the president and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy (which is an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce), met with the House Ways and Means committee this week, where she cited the Chamber’s support of the 8-year renewable energy tax credit extension, noting a phase out over four years.
I think I smell something fishy, and it ain’t salmon!
Certainly we’re happy to see the Chamber of Commerce offer any kind of support for renewables. But as far as I’m concerned, the Chamber’s support of a long-term, sustainable clean energy economy is questionable.
Here’s why. . .
Colorado’s Rush on Renewables
I’ve probably been to Colorado about a dozen times in my life.
It’s a beautiful state with a rich history, breathtaking natural beauty, and some of the most amazing national parks in the country. And despite the altitude adjustments that occasionally put the kibosh on my morning run, I understand why so many people live there. In fact, one of my best friends from high school now calls Denver home.
Trading his Colorado vacation home for a permanent Colorado residence, he is one of the hundreds of thousands who have migrated to the Centennial state since 2005. And there are many more coming…
In fact, Colorado’s population is expected to double to 10 million people over the next 40 years. And with that growth comes a desperate need to increase power production.
Is the Tea Party the Alternative Energy Party?
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party- Alice in Wonderland
I have to be honest. I don’t know much about the Tea Party movement. But as someone who sees our two party system as offering little more than the illusion of a real and effective democracy, I applaud any group that stands up and forces the status quo to take notice.
In fact, after doing a little research, it seems to me that the Tea Party – based on their core beliefs – should actually be a very pro-alternative energy party.
Tomorrow’s Electric Cars at the 2010 North American Auto Show
In 1986, I bought my very first car. It was a red 1980 Chevy Chevette. And I loved that thing.
I drove it everywhere — from to Boston to DC to Atlanta, that little red Chevette gave me a sense of freedom that I had never before experienced. And I treasured that freedom.
Sure, I had to work a lot of overtime at the pizza shop to afford it ($600 seemed like a fortune back then). And insurance is never cheap for a 16-year-old kid…
But none of that mattered. Because as long as I had my car, I could go anywhere at anytime. And it’s that sense of freedom that I believe every 16-year-old feels the first time he gets behind the wheel of his very first car.
As an adult, little has changed for me.
Sure, these days I take the light rail to work. (Why pay for gas and parking if you don’t have to?) But I still love taking those long road trips from time to time. And I still love checking out all the new cars coming to market.
Especially the latest electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. And there’s certainly no shortage of them this year at the 2010 North American Auto Show.
An Open Letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently told reporters that we should caution against blaming biofuels for higher food prices, stating that the food versus fuel debate is based on the assumption that where we are today remains static relative to production.
Vilsack went on to say he’s convinced that within 10 years, with just seed technology, we can produce a 100 bushel increase in yields.
Now, the food versus fuel debate is a tough one — there’s just too much special interest involved, on both sides of the debate, to get much in the way of objective data. So it’s hard to take a position on this one.
However, we still need some clarification on a few other issues before we start cheering 100 bushel increases in yields.
Recent Comments