Rhein on Energy and Climate

Archives for Energy Supply

North Dakota, the emerging US shale gas/oil paradise, and northern German wind energy regions are learning similar lessons: Both produce more new energies than they are able to sell, due to inadequate pipeline and grid systems. The consequence is a waste of energy, through gas flaring in North Dakota and temporary over-supply of wind and… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

For its energy supply, Humanity depends presently more on the Gulf countries than on any other part of the earth: one third of global oil and one fifth of gas reserves lie there; and production costs are lower than anywhere else. This situation will not be sustainable: The Gulf countries have to envisage a progressive… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

With China and and the USA starting their phase-out of incandescent light bulbs in October 2012, the world will soon be without the venerable lighting system that has been with us since the19th century when Humphrey Davy invented the arc lighting (1806) and Thomas Edison made it safer and commercially viable (1879). Much more energy-efficient… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

By 2050 the EU aims at covering essentially all of its electricity needs from non-fossil sources: wind, hydro, solar, biomass,geothermal and possibly nuclear. A multitude of medium-sized power plants. widely scattered across the continent, will then satisfy an increasing electricity demand of 500 million European citizens and make Europe largely largely self-sufficient in electricity, except… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Humanity will run out of fossil fuels before the end of this century latest. It will therefore need to develop sustainable substitutes, especially for air and road transport, as well as for shipping. Biofuels will be one of them, renewable electricity to power electrical vehicles another one. Both will be complementary. Biofuels produced from corn,… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein