Energy Self-Sufficiency Voters | Political news and views for voters who want a workable energy policy

Will Gas Prices Lead To Self Sufficiency?

It’s painful to go to the pump these days as gas reaches $4 and there is no expected end to the increases. The trouble in the Middle East is once again causing the price of oil to skyrocket and it’s the people commuting to work every day that feel the pinch.

It’s just not commuters that were hit hard either. Retailers and transportation companies are feeling the hit as well and that translates to higher prices for everything from airplane tickets to groceries. It’s possible this recent surge in prices may not go away anytime soon.

About 10 years ago, gas never reached about $2 a gallon and then after a surge in oil prices never goes below $3 anymore. A $10 gas purchase used to be able to get to ½ a tank and now you’re lucky to get three gallons.

When new stations open and run the 99-cent gas sale for two hours, hundreds of cars create bottlenecks of traffic as people try to reclaim the good old days when gas was a reasonably priced commodity.

With the world in a state of economic flux, this may the most opportune time to for world leaders to consider self-sufficiency. We can tell the oil robber barons that we are no longer going to left to the whims of their petty wars. Perhaps the push that self sufficiency needed was simply a rise in the price of gasoline. If the world can reclaim its independence from oil, the self sufficiency can finally be realized.

When Self Sufficiency Goes Hollywood

Hollywood stars have long been the stewards of environmental causes, raising money and living my example. It’s easy for them, they have lots and lots of money. With the push toward electric and hybrid cars, auto companies are paying big bucks to put their products into television shows and inadvertently publicizing self sufficiency.

The most outrageous and obvious one that I have seen was on an episode of the Fox television show “Fringe.” The main characters were driving a completely electric car…not standard issue for most federal agents…and actually found a place where they could plug it in and charge it up.

Really! You’re telling me that you just happen to find a place to plug in your electric car. What made this particularly funny was how they just kept talking as the character took off the plug for the car. The next commercial break showed that car and how great it was.

I have no doubt that they producers of that car care little for self sufficiency and are simply jumping on the environmental bandwagon. They want to make money and if they help save the environment or create energy self sufficiency, then even better. They’ll probably win a award.

If you look on many of the popular television shows and even occasionally movies, then you’ll see example after example of companies touting their environmentally friendly wares. It won’t be as obvious as “Fringe,” but every conversation is sparks is a small step towards the goal of energy self sufficiency.

Back New Technology For Self Sufficiency

The United States spends millions of dollars each years studying new technology to help with the energy crisis. This can be as simple as basic research that may not see results for a decade or more to prototype machines.

There are two basic trains of thought when it comes to energy technology research. Energy industry are working on fast paced projects that can be implemented quickly, around 3-4 years. The government takes a more long term approach supplying grants and funds for basic research.

Most of these grants go to scientists at universities and national laboratories for basic research. It allows them to test out possibilities and paths that may or may not pan out in the long run. If the research hits a snag, then the funding can be pulled and the scientist moves on to the next project.

Industry is not so forgiving. When they put money into a project, the expect to see results. If you are working on new battery technology, then you're going to perfect it and get results or your gone. Occasionally, the labs and academia will work with industry to create something that fits them both.

For example, a lab may spend years developing a new battery technology and then they take it to a battery manufacturer to turn it into a reality. It's a win-win for everyone. The lab gets the patent and residuals from sales the the battery company gets a revolutionary new product.

What does when mean for self sufficiency? If the majority of the money to research the product can from the government, then odds are the prototype is going to a U.S. company.

Middle East Bars Energy Self Sufficiency

If you have been to the pumps lately, you may have noticed that gas is quickly approaching $4 per gallon and it is expected that it could reach $5 before the tide begins to turn. The problem is that when the Middle East has some kind of uprising or coup, then it gets the gas prices rising.

People worry that is something should happen in those countries, and then the production of oil could slow. With production slowing, the demand goes up and the supply goes down. This would be one thing if anything actually happened, but even the threat of something happening is enough to create unrest.

When Middle Eastern governments begin rattling their sabers against their neighbors, United Nations or even civil unrest, then investors start to get worried. They begin to start a panic at the stock market and the price of oil goes up. The price of oil is the primary reason why the price of gasoline goes up.

It doesn’t even have to be any kind of unrest for the Middle East to influence gas prices. If they think the demand is going down or the price of oil is getting too low, then they simply make the decision to cut production. They can do this because we let them.

Everyone complains about gas prices, but no one seeks to do anything about it. They just assume that this is the way life goes and we just have to take it. Energy self sufficiency means we no longer are at the mercy of oil countries. We need to start making our own oil and get away from foreign entanglements.

Is Natural Gas Our Next Dependance

There are pipelines throughout the United States moving natural gas from one place to the other. It's being used to heat homes, cook food and even provide the fuel to large scale power plants. It's becoming the primary and go-to fuel source for the American people.

This isn't the case in other countries. Where Arab countries have the large oil fields, America has the natural gas deposits. Europe and other developed countries don't, so they are still stuck trying to use coal or increase their use of renewable energy.

With the demand for natural gas in the U.S. on the rise and the ample supply, the price has gone down considerably. Many places are pursuing natural gas over other energy sources because of the low cost, but I don't know how long that will last.

While we have a large supply and technology has been developed to reach deposits deep in the Earth, the supply isn't endless. How much longer before natural gas companies start doing the what the oil conglomerates are doing? They may start limiting their production as a means of controlling the cost. We'll be one step closer to energy self sufficiency, but we'll also be in the same boat of being controlled by the greed of a few companies.

When natural gas becomes the primary source of energy, the government should step in and make sure the providers keep the price fair for everyone. Otherwise we'll simply change from foreign dependence to domestic dependance.

Where Do Biofuels Fit In

One of the biggest area where the United States can prevail in energy self sufficiency is through the research and production of biofuels from plant material such as corn and even algae. Biofuels have been around for a while.

Gas stations began using a 10 percent ethanol blend about 10 years ago or more and the E85 gasoline came out about five years ago to little fanfare. The problem with biofuels isn't their inefficiency, but that need for engine and fuel system modifications to handle them.

When E85 first came out, it was supposed to be a safe alternative to primarily petroleum based gasoline, but only Flexfuel cars could handle it. With such a small group of those cars on the road, E85 never took off and has faded into the background. You can still occasionally see E85 pumps at stations, but they are few and far between.

There are some companies that are on the verge or crafted a prototype biofuel that can be used by all cars, but I doubt it will take off. The problem is that many of the gasoline chains are owned by petroleum companies. Do you think BP (It's really British petroleum) is going to give up their fuel in order to sell some hippie biofuel. I don't think so.

The only saving grace for this may be America's farmers. They are the ones growing the crops that go into this biofuel and we'll have to see if they have enough clout to take on big petroleum.

Natural Gas Could Be Self Sufficiency Savior

For decades, coal has been the primary source of energy in the United States. Renewable energy is on the rise, but due to the low amount of electricity that it can produce, it will never overtake coal as the major power source.

Natural gas on the other hand is in great supply and as prices continue to drop, developers are looking to it and not coal when building new power plants. Fracking is a technique used by gas companies to reach deeper and hard to get to reservoirs. Since it began being used, the demand hasn't been able to catch up with the supply, leading to a constant price drop.

Meanwhile, coal production is still as costly as ever and despite being formerly economical, coal is being over taken by natural gas. The Unites States has a high level of natural gas deposits and this may help us become less dependent on foreign coal and other resources.

If we are able use domestic resources, then the cost of energy production is bound to go down. This mixed with the increasing use of renewable energy such as wind and solar could lead to self sufficiency. It won't be quick, but maybe in a couple of decades self sufficiency may be possible. The primary factor is the U.S. has to have a good supply and the price as to stay lower than the price of coal. These are a couple of big ifs, but only time will tell if it will eventually pan out.

Energy Self Sufficiency: State or Federal Issue

It seems that all the attention for energy self efficiency is directed toward the federal government. Everyone wants the feds to so something because then every state has to do it, but that's not how government usually works.

When the federal government passes a law, odds are it was passed in one or several states first. The states are like the federal government's proving grounds. If what they pass works and the people are fine with it, then they can use a model of that law and adapt it to the national level.

When it comes to energy self sufficiency, it's not much different. It's much easier to get something passed on a state level, than on a federal level. The implications aren't as big and you are much more likely to bend the ear of a local representative than a federal one. State representatives and senators actually spend much of their time in their legislative districts.

You can call and set up a meeting rather easily. If you can get one person to listen and believe in your bill, then you have a chance of getting it passed. The more people support a bill, the more likely that it will get its chance for passage.

If you believe in energy self sufficiency and want something done about dependance on foreign oil, energy efficiency, etc., then talk with your state legislators or write them a letter or e-mail. It may take a while, but you can make a difference.

Energy A No Show On State Of The Union

While the deficit and unemployment was a major part of President Obama's State of the Union, energy self sufficiency was absent...again. To anyone that follows energy self sufficiency, it's not a surprise. It's more than a little evident that the current administration is being hit hard by both sides of the energy debate.

We live in a world where government officials are heavily influenced by political action committees and lobbyists. The big oil companies both foreign and domestic are pouring money into these groups, hoping to sway officials to their side. It's an uphill battle, but if you throw enough money at people. then it's going to get their attention.

That's where we are currently at in the political spectrum. Public opinion wants renewable energy and energy self sufficiency because they are tired of paying outrageous power and gas bills. They write countless letters to their public officials, but lack the money of big business. While they organize marches outside the capital, big business is having lunch with our officials at 5-star restaurants. As much as I believe in energy self sufficiency, I realize it's not an easy battle.

Despite major oil spills and skyrocketing gasoline prices, things still haven't changed much in a decade. The price of oil continues to rise, and we keep feeling the pinch in the wake of a record breaking recession.

I look forward to the day when we make enough noise that energy self sufficiency makes a appearance at the State of the Union, but that will likely be many years away.

New Technology Means New Hope

One of the largest problems with energy self sufficiency is the infrastructure for it isn't there. Hydrogen and electric powered cars are more than able to finally make it on the roads, but the infrastructure to support them isn't there.

Hydrogen cars burn hydrogen gas, so when your “gas” tank gets low, where are you going to fill up? Exactly. You can't get hydrogen gas at your local Caseys, Shell or BP. It's the same way with electricity. If you car's battery gets low, then where are you going to hook it up to? How are they going to charge you for filling up your battery? Do you have to install a special plug base in your home?

The good news is new technologies are being developed every day. The biggest drawbacks for batteries is how long they last and the plug-in problem. Scientists are working on batteries that can go 400 miles on a single charge and easy to install plugs that you can install at home yourself.

Hydrogen's main problem is creating enough gas and distribution. Scientists are working on genetically engineering plants to create hydrogen gas. Fungus and other plants that have been around used to create hydrogen gas instead of oxygen during photosynthesis. As the atmosphere changed that gene became dormant, but it's still there. They are trying to activate that gene.

Congress and services stations are working to create a pipeline for east hydrogen gas distribution. The only byproduct from a hydrogen has reaction is water.

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