AEI Syndrome (Alternate Energy Idiot)

All the news pundits that comment on the high price of gas love to bloviate about flex fuel vehicles, electric cars, hybrids and the new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. What drives me crazy watching all these talking heads, is nobody will actually share the facts about our real energy needs. Surprisingly Bill O'Reily actually shared some facts regarding how the Norwegians, and the French generate much of there electricity with Nuclear plants, (Read here for more on Nuclear) , but sadly we don't dare build another power plant, or dam another river for hydro power. We just sit on our thumbs and hope the energy fairy delivers us from our energy crises with a magic hydrogen wand, or ethanol fountain.

If today it was possible that ALL cars sold were flex fuel, and all existing cars could be converted, there is now way we could produce ethanol quickly enough to make any dent in our energy needs. It would cause ethanol based products to skyrocket in cost, and production of them could not meet demand. We have already seen pricing for animal feed rise and effect dairy and beef prices.

In the same way if you could plug your car in to charge it tomorrow, our power grid could not keep up with demand, we would start burning more coal, and firing up the natural gas back up generators to keep the country from going into a brown out. You think the heat wave rolling black outs in CA were bad?! People! If you don't allow new power plant construction, such as clean coal, nuclear or hydro, where will you get your volts for your wheels?

Now take the Hydrogen fuel cell. Do you just plug it into your homes hydrogen socket? The fuel is not readily available, and it requires energy to create hydrogen gas, revert to my previous paragraph.

Lastly, although "in-town" hybrid cars are more efficient that gas, on the freeway they barely make the grade. When a Prius actually makes freeway speeds, it has to run on gas, getting around 34MPG, you can buy a turbo diesel engine in a better performing car that will last longer and achieve highway MPG nearing 50! Again why the Europeans prefer diesel to petrol.

Don't ge me wrong, I am no euro-liberal, I am just your average American sick of all the talk about alternative energy that is lacking any facts. We need nuclear NOW and more drilling until we get some supply chains built for a diverse future energy grid.

Pass this on to your Prius driving, Salmon worshiping, anti-nuke, greeney weenies, while I go gas up my SUV.