Item of General Interest
July 25. I received notice today that an article I helped write is available for free download for the next fifty days. The corrected free link for the article is "An Oil Production Forecast for China Considering Economic Limits." The article discusses the possibility that oil prices may not rise endlessly, and evaluates three future price scenarios. Under the "low" scenario (prices remain under $50 per barrel), oil production in China has already peaked.
Tag Archives: EROEI
The real oil limits story; what other researchers missed
For a long time, a common assumption has been that the world will eventually “run out” of oil and other non-renewable resources. Instead, we seem to be running into surpluses and low prices. What is going on that was missed … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged EROEI, Harold Hotelling, M. King Hubbert, oil demand, oil limits, oil price, peak oil
1,243 Comments
Debt: The Key Factor Connecting Energy and the Economy
There are many who believe that the use of energy is critical to the growth of the economy. In fact, I am among these people. The thing that is not as apparent is that growth in energy consumption is dependent … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged Debt, economic growth, EROEI, interest rates, negative interest rates, oil price
695 Comments
Overview of Our Energy Modeling Problem
We live in a world with limits, yet our economy needs growth. How can we expect this scenario to play out? My view is that this problem will play out as a fairly near-term financial problem, with low oil prices … Continue reading
Posted in Financial Implications
Tagged Charles Hall, diminishing returns, economic growth, energy modeling, EROEI, EROI, low oil price
589 Comments
Eight Pitfalls in Evaluating Green Energy Solutions
Does the recent climate accord between US and China mean that many countries will now forge ahead with renewables and other green solutions? I think that there are more pitfalls than many realize. Pitfall 1. Green solutions tend to push … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives to Oil, Energy policy, Financial Implications
Tagged electric grid, EROEI, green energy, oil prices, renewables, solar PV, wind energy
1,278 Comments
Diminishing Returns, Energy Return on Energy Invested, and Collapse
What do diminishing returns, energy return on energy invested (EROI or EROEI), and collapse have to do with each other? Let me start by explaining the connection between Diminishing Returns and Collapse. Diminishing Returns and Collapse We know that historically, … Continue reading
