Thursday, June 15, 2017

Sharing energy subsidies

Biofuel market share: 

Society has just begun to tap new renewable sources of energy from agriculture and forestlands on a commercial scale that impacts energy markets. Among these sources are biofuels, a small but important component of current fuel consumption in the U.S. transport sector. In 2012, biofuels accounted for roughly 7.1 percent of total transport fuel consumption, or 13.8 billion gallons, unchanged from the previous year. Ethanol, made mostly from corn starch from kernels, is by far the most significant biofuel in the United States, accounting for 94 percent of all biofuel production in 2012. Most of the remainder is biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oils (chiefly soy oil) as well as animal fats, waste oils, and greases.
And solar/wind 

"For the first time, monthly electricity generation from wind and solar (including utility-scale plants and small-scale systems) exceeded 10% of total electricity generation in the United States, based on March data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Electricity generation from both of these energy sources has grown with increases in wind and solar generating capacity. On an annual basis, wind and solar made up 7% of total U.S. electric generation in 2016.
Both subsidized or mandated, both the same share,   Solar and wind capital inefficient without battery storage.  Biofuel works when the sun is out and we have nutrients.  Use solar to fix carbon use natural gas for ammonia, work on biofuel process efficiency, land is cheap.  What is expensive is water, co2, ammonia. With solar energy input we can farm and clean the gulf shores while producing biofuel.  Solar is cheap, batteries are not.  Processing biofuel is expensive, shipping it around is not. The trader will favor biofuels.

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