Energy Production, Consumption, and Consequences (1990) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Energy Planning in a Dynamic World: Overview and Perspective
Energy Planning in a Dynamic World: Overview and Perspective
Pages 1-18
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
The authors in this volume make clear that the time is at hand for a reappraisal of the way in which we plan for and use our national energy system. The agenda for energy institutions has always been to provide energy in the forms required to support economic growth, social progress, and ever-changing societal needs and values.
|
From page 2... ...
· Major emphasis on supply management; all viable energy sources should be mobilized and alternative energy sources should be developed for the future. · Government mandates to achieve energy demand reduction by efficiency standards for automobiles, appliances, commercial buildings, and residences.
|
From page 3... ...
These questions are addressed by the chapters in this volume and are discussed in overview below. SUPPLY, DEMAND, AND REAPPRAISAL During the 1970s, most energy planning was premised on the prevailing assumption that energy demand was price-inelastic and on the expectation of high, continually escalating energy prices.
|
From page 4... ...
Weinberg shows rapid changes in the ratio of energy use to gross domestic product. Thomas Schelling observes that rapid change and adaptation are an inherent characteristic of humans and human systems, for example, people readily adapt to seasonal variations, different regional climates, and more.
|
From page 5... ...
The trade-off process is difficult at all levels of the energy system. As John Gibbons and Peter Blair show, individuals weigh the energy efficiency of consumer goods against price and competing features on almost a daily basis.
|
From page 6... ...
In contrast, the time scales on which decisions affecting energy demand are made daily by millions of individuals and organizations are based on short usage periods, typically 3 to 6 years. Further, energy institutions, policymakers, providers, and consumers understandably have different insights and beliefs about such complex phenomena as global trade and the greenhouse effect, which even experts understand with only limited precision.
|
From page 7... ...
1b do so explicitly is confounded by several factors: the logic of resource scarcity is simple and direct, whereas the logic of resource expansion by human resourcefulness is complex and indirect; there are always short-term negative effects due to increased pressure on the current system, whereas the benefits that may result from the constructive adversity of this pressure come only later; and innovation often leads to changing the order of things and often includes individual, institutional, and even societal dislocations. Planning and reappraisal must become more sensitive to these considerations.
|
From page 8... ...
Because of lead times in deploying new energy technology, Starr predicts a 1.6-fold increase of fossil fuel use for electricity generation. Malpas predicts that if the current pace of world demand continues without harnessing the benefits of new technologies, it will be necessary to triple the consumption of coal to satisfy the projected primary energy demand in the year 2020.
|
From page 9... ...
Weinberg gives further evidence of the importance of relative rates with his observation that energy demand is inelastic in the short term but elastic over the long term; Gibbons and Blair make the same observation in the context of energy efficiency. Thus, should a climate shock occur, responding in a reactive rather than anticipatory manner is likely to be inefficient, and the tremendous inertia of the global climate may make reversal of change impossible.
|
From page 10... ...
vulnerability to foreign energy sources, if the United States wishes to contribute to reducing the world's vulnerability-to a possible future greenhouse shock, broad reappraisal of the energy system from these perspectives is required. THE ENERGY PLANNING WINDOW Because of the environmental dimension of energy production and use, the importance of conducting an energy reappraisal grows in proportion to world population.
|
From page 11... ...
Hence, even though the OPEC price shocks occurred several years ago, the energy system continues to be more flexible and exploratory than at most other times in the recent past. Yet, as Behnke and others observe, the growth rate of energy demand is resuming.
|
From page 12... ...
Some of the new technologies that have contributed to expanding our hydrocarbon resources include digital processing and enhancement of seismic and remotely sensed data and drilling in harsh conditions on onshore drilling platforms. New technologies that use natural gas for power generation, such as gas turbines and boiler cofiring, are described by William McCormick.
|
From page 13... ...
Although the particulars of laws, regulations, taxes, and national programs must come from other forums, the following clear and promising directions for energy policy emerge from the presentations in this volume: 1. Increase energy efficiency.
|
From page 14... ...
Policy directions for other important issues, such as transregional acid deposition and local ozone nonattainment, as indicated in those chapters that specifically discuss them, are already being pursued, because the technological needs to address them are visible and the political process to solve them is already in progress. Increasing Energy Efficiency Nearly all of the authors in this volume advocate increased energy efficiency as a major element of any future energy plan.
|
From page 15... ...
A second wave of world gas supply will be available when technology helps find more gas and solves the problem of bringing remote gas to consumers in a cost-effective way. Liquefying natural gas is at present accomplished by a relatively costly technology; however, remote gas could be converted to transportable liquid methanol, although this process does not yet have adequately sized downstream markets.
|
From page 16... ...
nuclear power plants of today have demonstrated the capability of their engineered safety systems to protect the health and safety of the public, experience has shown that they are less successful at protecting the financial risk of their owners. In addition to inherent safety, some second-generation reactors offer other attractive features such as higher thermodynamic performance and fuel cycle flexibility.
|
From page 17... ...
Abundant electricity can promote system efficiencies and also simplify the substitution of smokeless energy sources. These three directions, energy efficiency, the hydrogen-rich fuels, and acceptable nuclear power, are emerging in energy policy discussions because they are technically and logically relevant to modern society's energy vulnerabilities.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.