ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy
intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels.
Typically, official uses of the term, such as qualification for governmental incentives,
exclude fossil fuels and nuclear energy whose undesired consequences are high carbon
dioxide emissions, the major contributing factor of global warming according to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and difficulties of radioactive waste
disposal. Over the years, the nature of what was regarded alternative energy sources has
changed considerably, and today because of the variety of energy choices and differing
goals of their advocates, defining some energy types as "alternative" is highly
controversial.

The term "alternative" presupposes a set of undesirable energy technologies against

which "alternative energies" are opposed. As such, the list of energy technologies
excluded is an indicator of what problems that the alternative technologies are intended to
address. Controversies regarding dominant forms of energy and their alternatives have a
long history.

Alternative Energy Sources: Renewable & Non-Renewable

Both non-renewable and renewable energy sources are reviewed:

a. Non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas and other fuels made from
natural gas. There is a limited amount of natural gas on earth and, once used,
they are gone forever. (Fortunately, large new natural gas reserves are being
discovered in shale formations).
b. Renewable sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, solar energy and wind power.
The potential for these renewable resources is virtually unlimited although high
cost has held back their development.

Alternative Energy Sources Definitions

Alternative energy sources are defined as any energy source (and certain non-energy
applications) that can replace or reduce the use of conventional crude oil and coal. This
is a broad definition but it is helpful in avoiding concentrating on only pristine alternative
energy sources, e.g., solar energy, wind energy, etc. We are not going to solve the
energy crisis with just solar energy and windmills.
(Note: natural gas was removed from my list of fossil fuels that need to be replaced
because of recent discovery of immense deposits of shale formation natural gas and, also,
because natural gas, itself, is increasingly being used as an alternative energy source,
e.g., liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), gas-to-liquids (GTL),
etc......however, eventually natural gas will also need to be replaced.)

Another way to define the subject is to take a quick look at the entire energy
spectrum. Let's break it into three categories:
1. Conventional (Non-renewable) Energy Sources.

Crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Crude oil is the most used of the three fuels and we are
beginning to run out. When world Peak Oil (maximum production of oil) is reached,
prices of the fuel will skyrocket. This is the fuel we must quickly find a substitute for.
Coal is more abundant than crude oil but the atmospheric emissions problems with its
use are severe and, therefore, its use is restricted. Natural gas is a "clean" fuel but the
supply is somewhat limited although it is more abundant in nature than crude oil.
Because of its relative abundance, natural gas is treated, herein, as an non-renewable
alternative energy source (see next section).

2. Unconventional (Non-renewable) Energy Sources.

Some alternative energy sources fall into this category. LNG, oil sands and nuclear
energy are probably the most important of these energy sources. Certain forms of natural
gas - LNG, CNG, and GTL - are important here. These forms of natural gas or natural
gas products have specific advantages when in the liquid or compressed state or when
converted to a synthetic liquid fuel. Natural gas is clean and, as discussed in the above
paragraph, some forms of it can actually be considered an alternative energy source in
their own right. We will need lots of this clean natural gas to tide us over until the more
pristine alternative energy sources kick in. Please keep in mind that, while natural gas
can be considered an alternative energy source, it is not a renewable energy source...we
will eventually run out of it! Also in this energy category are the oil sands and tar sands,
nuclear energy, and unconventional sources of natural gas such a "tight" formation gas
and shale formation natural gas. These unconventional energy sources should be
considered as legitimate energy substitutes since they replace conventional oil and coal.
They are very important energy sources since they will likely be the "bridge" energy
sources that we will have to use until the renewable energy sources are developed. Coal,
while plentiful, is so dirty it should not be listed as an alternative fuel at this time.

3. Renewable Energy Sources.

These are the alternative energy sources that are perpetually renewable. Solar energy,
wind power, ethanol, biodiesel, etc. Once developed, these energy sources will
theoretically supply a near infinite supply of energy........when they are developed! In the
meantime, we have to have the less exotic energy sources of categories 1 and 2.
Otherwise, civilization, as we know it, will be badly hurt. In accordance with the above
definition of alternative energy source, improved energy efficiency is considered as a
source. Efficiency improvements could be very important in meeting the energy shortage
as similar improvements were back in the 70's, 80's and 90's during the past energy
crises. In similar fashion, "psychological acceptance of alternative energy" might also be
included as an alternative energy source though virtually impossible to quantify.
 Coal as an alternative to wood

Historian Norman F. Cantor describes how in the late medieval period, coal was the new
alternative fuel to save the society from overuse of the dominant fuel, wood: "Europeans
had lived in the midst of vast forests throughout the earlier medieval centuries. After
1250 they became so skilled at deforestation that by 1500 AD they were running short of
wood for heating and cooking... By 1500 Europe was on the edge of a fuel and nutritional
disaster, which it was saved in the sixteenth century only by the burning of soft coal and
the cultivation of potatoes and maize."

Petroleum as an alternative to whale oil

Whale oil was the dominant form of lubrication and fuel for lamps in the early 19th
century, but by mid century and the depletion of the whale stocks, whale oil prices were
skyrocketing and could not compete with the newly discovered source of cheap
petroleum from Pennsylvania in 1859.

Alcohol as alternative to fossil fuels

In 1917, Alexander Graham Bell advocated ethanol from corn and other foodstuffs as an
alternative to coal and oil, stating that the world was in measurable distance of depleting
these fuels. For Bell, the problem requiring an alternative was lack of renewability of
orthodox energy sources. Since the 1970s, Brazil has had an ethanol fuel program which
has allowed the country to become the world's second largest producer of ethanol (after
the United States) and the world's largest exporter. Brazil’s ethanol fuel program uses
modern equipment and cheap sugar cane as feedstock, and the residual cane-waste
(bagasse) is used to process heat and power. There are no longer light vehicles in Brazil
running on pure gasoline. By the end of 2008 there were 35,000 filling stations
throughout Brazil with at least one ethanol pump. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced
from a diverse array of feed stocks, and involves the use of the whole crop. This new
approach should increase yields and reduce the carbon footprint because the amount of
energy-intensive fertilizers and fungicides will remain the same, for a higher output of
usable material. As of 2008, there are nine commercial cellulosic ethanol plants which
are either operating, or under construction, in the United States.

Coal gasification as alternative to expensive petroleum

In the 1970s, President Jimmy Carter's administration advocated coal gasification as an

alternative to expensive imported oil. The program, including the Synthetic Fuels
Corporation was scrapped when petroleum prices plummeted in the 1980s.

Renewable energy as alternative to non-renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight,

wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat—which are renewable (naturally replenished).
When comparing the processes for producing energy, there remain several fundamental
differences between renewable energy and fossil fuels. The process of producing oil,
coal, or natural gas fuel is a difficult and demanding process that requires a great deal of
complex equipment, physical and chemical processes. On the other hand, alternative
energy can be widely produced with basic equipment and naturally basic processes.
Wood the most renewable and available so called "alternative" energy, burns the same
amount of carbon it would emit if it degraded naturally.

Alternative Energy Sources That Look Good!

Several energy sources look great. But other sources will need a few years
before making a major contribution in replacing oil.

A. Oil Sands & Tar Sands

This is one messy way to get oil but it is being done and the output is increasing rapidly
with a number of companies working on recovering oil from oil sands. Lets keep going.
We are never going to work the many kinks out of the processes unless we work at it.
There are enormous deposits of oil sands available. A majority of oil sand reserves are
apparently in Western Canada (Athabasca Oil Sands) with smaller deposits of somewhat
similar (lower grade) "tar sands" in Venezuela. It should be noted that additional oil sand
deposits are being found in Canada and the total size of the oil sands is immense to say
the least. Additionally, I have just learned that there are some significant oil sand
deposits in the U.S. under development although these oil sand deposits are, by no means,
comparable in size to the deposits in Canada and Venezuela. Apparently, we are going to
be dealing with the oil sands for a very long time. Mining the oil sands raises a severe
environmental problem. A year or so ago, it was reported that just one mining waste
pond in Canada was 14 miles in circumference and contained over a 100 feet depth of a
slow-settling, water-oil-sand-clay mix. Try cleaning up that mess! In addition to the
waste ponds, etc, the effect of the noxious fumes being produced by the oil sand
treatment facilities is contributing to the global warming problem. (Of course, we in the
U.S. have to keep our mouths shut on the global warming issue. Our government barely
recognizes (if at all!) that there is a global warming or climate change problem. Global
Warming provides more detailed information) Still another problem with the oil sands
development is that construction and production costs are moving up about as fast as
increases in the value of the product obtained. Without tax and royalty subsidies, some
environmentalists claim that mining the oil sands would not even be a breakeven project.
Canada is plunging ahead with oil sands development (includes use of government
subsidies) without totally solving the environmental problems. Eventually, they will
have to face up to the environmental problems and determine if they can afford the
environmental damage to their country. (Note: an incredible amount of domestic and
foreign (China, etc.) money is being put into oil sand development and the Canadians are
not immune to the influence of this money. But, if they want to see what pell mell
development of energy sources can do to the environment, they should visit our once
attractive (but oil-rich) wetlands down here in Louisiana - the Louisiana wetlands now
look like a war zone.
 B. Alternative Energy Sources Utilizing Natural Gas

Eventually, we will have to move from oil-based fuels to natural gas and to exotic fuels
such as fuel cells, solar energy, etc. Natural gas is much more plentiful than oil and
shale formation natural gas is being discovered in massive quantities so it will
undoubtedly have to serve as an bridge fuel until the more exotic renewable alternative
fuels are developed. Thus, my interest in oil substitutes using natural gas: LNG,
compressed natural gas, & GTL.

1. LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

LNG, technically, might not be considered an alternative energy source since it is really
frozen natural gas. However, due to its unique production, shipping characteristics and
varied uses, it is considered an alternative source for the purpose of this web site. LNG is
produced simply by cooling natural gas to the liquid form. The liquid is then shipped to
the U.S. and elsewhere in cryogenic tankers. When LNG arrives at its destination in the
U.S. or elsewhere, the frozen gas is unloaded at a "terminal" (often offshore terminals)
where it is heated back to the gaseous form and distributed through conventional natural
gas pipelines.

LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) has a more technical discussion on LNG and
Alternative Energy Company Stocks provides information on some of the companies
engaged in LNG. LNG is an alternative energy source whose time has come! But will
the U.S. take full advantage of the source and develop the infrastructure needed to make
full use of LNG.

Recent Development. LNG has been used in specially-designed heavy trucks as a

replacement for diesel. Apparently, a small amount (10 % or so) of diesel is mixed with
the LNG as a starter fluid. Efficient, pollution-free operation of the trucks is reported.
While the LNG used in the heavy trucks as a replacement for diesel has, so far, been
prepared from natural gas produced in this country, I see no reason why the imported
LNG discussed previously (and LNG produced from the newly-found shale formation
natural gas) could not be used for diesel replacement.

Boone Pickens & Natural Gas. It should be noted that compressed natural gas (CNG) is
also used as fuel for vehicles. In this use, the natural gas is not liquefied. Boone Pickens
makes the strong point in his Picken's Plan that natural gas is much more abundant than
oil and that the recent massive discoveries of shale formation natural gas makes natural
gas the "alternative fuel" of choice to temporarily replace oil in truck - automobile
applications while the true alternative energy sources, e.g. wind power, are developed.

Boone Pickens is spending his own money and lots of his time pushing natural gas as the
"bridge" fuel to alternative energy sources.. Both his dedication and his plan are
commendable. While others are sitting on their butts talking, Boone is actually doing
something. The man has the spirit, and, at 80 years of age, he may be the one to lead us
young ones on the quest for energy independence.
2. New Natural Gas Energy Source: GTL (Gas to Liquid).
In the Gas-to-Liquid process, natural gas is used to produce a "diesel-like" fuel that is
very clean. I was surprised to see that this process was so advanced overseas, particularly
in South Africa . The diesel fuel produced by the GTL process is, unlike LNG, non-
explosive. The liquid diesel from the GTL processes is so ultra clean that it can be
blended with conventional "unclean" diesel to produce a blended diesel fuel that meets
governmental standards. Most developing nations are implementing new regulations
reducing the allowed sulfur content of diesel to extremely low levels. At this time, the
most economical way to obtain the low-sulfur diesel is to blend the regular diesel with
GTL liquid diesels. The clean diesel market provides a built-in market for the GTL
diesel. GTL diesel will dramatically improve air quality for those countries using it.
Much of the pure GTL fuel will no doubt be sold as a specialty fuel for use by cities with
air quality problems. In addition to its high quality in terms of sulfur content, etc, the
GTL diesel has a higher Cetane No. than conventional diesel meaning that the fuel is
more powerful and more efficient that conventional diesel. The GTL process is going to
have a greater impact in Europe in the immediate future because Europe has gone gung
ho over diesel. More diesel is now used over there for automobiles and trucks than is
gasoline. The US is lagging way behind in GTL. But so what! If South African
companies help solve the Peak Oil problem by developing such a fine alternative energy
source, I won't complain. It should also be noted that an increase in usage of GTL in
Europe will mean that more European gasoline will be available for export to the U.S.
and this will help alleviate fuel shortages that develop here. In any event, GTL is going
to become a major substitute fuel source in a few years! LNG and GTL may delay the
bad effects of Peak Oil and the energy crisis so that we, at least, have a chance of
surviving. The news headlines that LNG and, to a lesser extent, GTL, are receiving, state
that the processes will use "stranded" natural gas (gas located too remotely to be used
conventionally) for the feedstock for the LNG & GTL fuels. However, I predict the
markets for the two products will grow to such an extent that the feedstock gas will not
be limited to stranded natural gas but will include regular natural gas also. The demand
is going to be great!

D. Wind Power.

Energy from wind is not real big in the U.S., yet (it is growing rapidly, though!), but in
Denmark, it is providing 20 % of all the country's energy requirements. In Germany and
Spain, wind energy is providing about 7% of energy requirements. Wind energy devices,
e.g., windmills, are certainly close to being a perfect renewable energy source, but have
the problem of producing a low-density energy product and, additionally, have some
environmental problems, e.g., bird-hazards and appearance. I'm hopeful about the
successes, but we will never solve the Peak Oil problem with just windmills. In
Louisiana, windmills will have a rough go of it since we have a large number of duck and
bird hunters in the state. They will resist the windmills. Also, how will windmills stand
up to a super hurricane like Hurricane Katrina that struck Louisiana two years ago.
Boone Pickens has shown his faith in wind power by investing in a large Texas wind
farm. The "Picken's Plan" concentrates on the use of compressed natural gas as a
"bridge fuel" while more permanent renewable energy sources, such as wind power, are
being developed. For additional information on a Florida electric utility, FPL, rapidly
developing wind power, alternative energy company stocks
is a good source.

E. Solar Energy.

A decade ago, solar energy was going to be our renewable energy source savior. Every
one said so! But no cigar! Solar energy had many uses in small and medium
applications but large applications had trouble getting started. But, the potential was
there and the solar energy industry kept developing the energy source! A hopeful
development with solar energy is that the cost of producing solar energy has plummeted
in the past few years. If that trend continues, the use of solar energy should soar.

F. Nuclear Energy.

Detailed discussion of nuclear energy is not presented here but nuclear energy is going to
play a major role in supplying energy in the future, particularly in power plants. A major
problem (other than safety) is that no method of applying nuclear energy to automobiles
and other small applications has been developed. Eventually, such a method may be
worked out, e.g., battery-operated cars, but, by that time, Peak Oil may have us by the
throat. Nuclear development is also booming in Japan, China and other oil-poor nations.
As a result, the price of Uranium is shooting through the roof. Nuclear power plants are
going to become an increasingly important energy source whether we like it or not.

Fission & Fusion Nuclear Energy. The above nuclear energy discussion is relevant
only to fission. Fusion processes that will work on a large scale have not yet been
developed and some projections indicate that it will be after 2050 before fusion will be
able to play a major role in providing significant amounts of energy. So, someday, fusion
will be important but now it is no practical significance.

Alternative Energy Sources That Look Fairly Good

Ethanol

Ethanol, a renewable energy source, gets a lot of publicity and nice government
subsidies but many experts question whether ethanol is really worthwhile. It seems to
require about as much energy to produce as the energy value of the final product. Also, I
am always suspicious of an energy source that requires large government subsidies for it
to be marketable. (But, government subsidies are not always bad and this could be one of
those instances where such subsidies are necessary.)

One problem is appearing from the production of ethanol from corn. The price of corn
has shot up and this is a problem for many of the poorer nations that use corn as a basic
food commodity. Is it to be ethanol for our SUVs or tortillas for our Mexican neighbors?
The corn price and other grain price increases indirectly related to the corn price is also
now affecting food prices in the United States. A potential investor in ethanol stocks
should certainly get a handle on the future of corn prices before he invests.It should be
noted, of course, that corn is heavily used to fatten cattle being prepared for slaughter.
Although it has been suggested that grass fattening be substituted for corn in the fattening
process, this procedure produces less tasty meat and may be difficult to sell to the
American people. Brazil is doing great with producing ethanol from sugar cane but one
must remember that you can get three crops of sugar cane per year in Brazil. In the U.S.,
only one crop per year can be obtained. The U.S. is not Brazil! Processes for producing
ethanol from non-edible sources, e.g. corn cobs, grass, citrus fruit wastes, and other
agriculture waste,. are being worked on but have not been perfected. The use of such
cellulosic sources would certainly expand the potential for the use of ethanol as a fuel..
Production of ethanol from pond grown algae is receiving attention. The potential is
enormous but many problems must be worked out before the process is economically
feasible.

Biodiesel.

So far, most of the biodiesel has been produced from the "normal" seed oils such as
soybean oil. Now, the Jatropha plant is being heavily investigated. Its seeds contain 40%
oil compared to 18% for soybeans. That is a tremendous advantage but that is only the
beginning! First of all, the Jatropha plant grows fine on arid soils (look out deserts! But
there are a lot of deserts around). And second, the plant is inedible so foraging animals
are no problem .One oil giant, British Petroleum, has just invested $160 million with a
small firm to develop biodiesel production from Jatropha. And India has led the way
with developing Jatropha biodiesel. China is jumping in, also. Hopefully, the Jatropha
plant will be a long-term success producing diesel. But, lets give it a little more time
before we have a victory party.

Another good-sounding possibility is to make biodiesel using algae to produce the

biodiesel. I researched this a little because I thought it might be possible for me to
produce biodiesel in a backyard greenhouse and make a little money. But, alas!
Apparently, the undesirable types of algae are bad about shouldering out the good diesel-
producing forms. It is not for the amateur. But for the professional, this is a possibility.
Still, the algae processes are early in research and several years of development lie ahead.

In any event, biodiesel may have more of a long range future than ethanol.

Coal Bed Methane.

Recovery of coal bed methane is a fast growing enterprise in this country. However, I
have absolutely no experience or detailed knowledge in the recovery of coal bed methane
(other than a collection of brochures advising me to get rich quick by buying coal bed
methane company stocks) so I can offer little discussion on the subject. Apparently, the
potential reserves of coal bed methane are very great and the recovery of coal bed
methane will likely prove an important source of natural gas. We should continue to
pursue recovery efforts.

Geothermal Energy.

A number of articles have appeared recently on geothermal energy development.

Geothermal energy is often used in areas, e.g., Iceland, where hot rocks are present fairly
close to the surface. One method is to pump water into the rocks, allow the water to heat
and then return the steam or water to the surface for use. A major problem is that
locations where hot rocks exist close to the surface are not numerous. One advanced
technology which received some recent publicity circulates water only six feet or so
below "normal" earth surfaces and then recovers the low-temperature heat available
there. This process is apparently very expensive but, possibly, the cost can be reduced
over time.

Alternative Energy Sources That Have Been Slow to Develop!

Coal (Environmentally Clean Coal!)

Coal hasn't yet made a major move to become material from which new age fuel for
automobiles is produced. There are enormous deposits of coal around the globe
including 300 billion tons in the US which has the largest reserves of any nation. The US
is known as the Saudi Arabia of coal. A major problem with coal is that it is not as
environmentally friendly as natural gas and several other fuels because its combustion
produces an enormous amount of carbon dioxide. But, if we get really desperate, we will
have to use more of it and we could ramp up its production fairly quickly, but look out
environment! We must not give up on coal but any fuel produced from coal for mass
consumption must be made environmentally clean.

Fishcher-Tropsch Process.

If coal is to lead us out of peak oil (temporarily of course....there is not an unlimited

amount of coal), it is likely that chemical engineers will do the honor with some of the
many modifications of the Fishcher-Tropsch Process. This chemical process is probably
the most famous chemical process around at this time. Invented by the oil-poor Germans,
they used the process in World War 2 to convert coal to a usable liquid fuel for both land
vehicles and aircraft. It worked pretty well for them although allied bombing finally
destroyed many of the conversion plants. The Fischer-Tropsch Process is not limited to
use with coal only. It can convert almost any carbon-containing substance including
natural gas & biomass to either a liquid or gaseous fuel. But coal is where the process
has made its name and the U.S. has an awful lot of coal. Hopefully, continued
modifications to the process will reduce its pollution-producing and make coal products
more available in the peak oil fight. As noted, the Fischer-Tropsch process is under
constant modification with new uses for it being constantly developed.
Hydrogen Fuel.

It should also be noted that hydrogen does play a key role in the Fischer-Tropsch Process
discussed above. So hydrogen does have a critical role in the peak oil fight although not
yet in some of the exotic roles projected.

Fuel cells

Fuel cells using hydrogen may be a major energy source in a few decades, but not now.

Shale Oil

Progress has been made ( by Shell Oil, I believe) in developing shale oil from shale rock
deposits as an energy source but that political entities won't permit development from
going forward because of the huge amounts of water required in the recovery processes
and the pollution created. However, the shale rock deposits in the western US are of
staggering size and, eventually, as peak oil arrives in force, we will probably have to go
forward with shale oil development. We will have no choice unless one or more of the
other alternative energy sources can take up the slack.

Wave Energy & Tidal Energy

These are classic renewable energy sources but have not caught on although there must
be literally thousands of patents on such devices and the seas are full of waves.

Methane Hydrates

These methane hydrates which lie on the ocean floor and in the Arctic tundra contain
enough methane to supply mankind with natural gas fuel for eons. But nobody has
worked out the technology for recovering them for use as an energy source yet. Will
such technology be available in time to help with Peak Oil ? In addition to supplying our
fuel needs, the hydrates have been implicated in catastrophic warming events in Earth's
history in the distant past . Maybe we should be mining the hydrate deposits in the
Arctic before global warming heats the earth a few degrees and sets off a natural chain
reaction liberation of the tundra methane that really heats up the Earth. (Am I starting to
sound like Al Gore?)

Very Deep Natural Gas (Thomas Gold Gas). Sir Thomas Gold was a brilliant man,
one of the great geniuses, but one of his theories about energy has yet to be proven. He
thought that the natural gas we are presently recovering was not of bacterial origin, as
geologists presently believe, but that the gas has been in the earth since the birth of the
earth and has slowly worked its way close enough to the surface to be recovered via
shallow drilling. According to his theory, if we drill deep enough, we will hit an
inexhaustible supply of natural gas. This would take care of our energy problems
forever. But, how deep do we have to drill? There have been some rather feeble
attempts to test Gold's theory but they have not been successful. Eventually, we will be
able to drill deep enough to test the theory but I don't think we had better count on this
hypothetical, very deep gas to solve our energy problems. Still, it is an interesting
theory.

Unconventional Oil & Natural Gas

Unconventional Natural Gas. Conventional natural gas is easy to recover. Porosity in

the formation is high and the natural gas has little resistance as it is brought to the
surface. Unfortunately, most conventional natural gas fields in the U.S. have been
heavily drilled and production of the conventional natural gas is declining. In short, we
are running out of the "easy" conventional gas.Enter unconventional natural gas!
Unconventional natural gas is natural gas contained in tight (nonporous) limestone
formations or in tight shale rock formations. In recent years, gas companies have become
more adept at producing the tight formations. For example, tight formation may be
fractured using a frac fluid and then kept open by injection of propants. As an example
of the size of the shale formation gas reserves, a recent discovery - Haynesville Shale - in
my home state of Louisiana is believed by some experts to contain more than 300 trillion
cubic feet of natural gas, enough to supply all U.S. requirements for natural gas for 20
years or so. And that is just one of the shale formations that has been recently discovered
in the U.S.....when all the shale formations are considered, the U.S. may have an almost
unlimited amount of natural gas available! No wonder the interest in natural gas is
growing. It is clean and it is plentiful. Here again, this unconventional gas from shale
formations probably should not be considered an alternative energy source, but it fits my
definition of alternative energy very well. I'll take all thie"tight" gas we can get our
hands on.

Unconventional Oil - Bakken Formation. The same general argument for natural gas is
also true for oil. For example, the Bakken shale Formation of North Dakota contains a
huge quantity of high-quality oil. However the oil is held in a two-mile deep tight
formation and special procedures are needed to recover it. One successful method is to
drill down vertically to the oil-containing shale formation and then drill horizontally out
into the formation. This method works but it is expensive. Several billion barrels of oil
are believed to be recoverable at about the present $70 per barrel oil price. As the oil
price goes up, more of the oil will be economically recoverable. The formation could
contain a total of 400 to 600 billion barrels of oil. Estimates for final recovery range all
over the place...from 1% up to 50%. But you are going to pay a lot for a gallon of
gasoline produced from Bakken oil. Still, you folks working in the Bakken, keep at it!
We need every drop of oil you can produce while the development of alternative energy
sources is underway. Unconventional oil and gas buy time for the more exotic alternative
fuel developers. They need it! They got a late start and are going up a few blind alleys!
It should be pointed out that what I now call unconventional oil & natural gas will soon
be the "conventional" oil & natural gas as the easy oil & natural gas is largely used up.
Then there will be virtually nothing left but the unconventional stuff.

Recent forms

Ecologically friendly alternatives

Renewable energy sources such as biomass are sometimes regarded as an alternative to

ecologically harmful fossil fuels. Renewable are not inherently alternative energies for
this purpose. For example, the Netherlands, once leader in use of palm oil as a bio fuel,
has suspended all subsidies for palm oil due to the scientific evidence that their use "may
sometimes create more environmental harm than fossil fuels". The Netherlands
government and environmental groups are trying to trace the origins of imported palm
oil, to certify which operations produce the oil in a responsible manner. Regarding bio
fuels from foodstuffs, the realization that converting the entire grain harvest of the US
would only produce 16% of its auto fuel needs, and the decimation of Brazil's CO 2
absorbing tropical rain forests to make way for bio fuel production has made it clear that
placing energy markets in competition with food markets results in higher food prices
and insignificant or negative impact on energy issues such as global warming or
dependence on foreign energy. Recently, alternatives to such undesirable sustainable
fuels are being sought, such as commercially viable sources of cellulosic ethanol.

Zero carbon alternatives

From the perspective of the climate change issue, low carbon economy fuels are
alternative sources that eliminate carbon and methane emissions. For this goal, renewable
or sustainable energies such as biomass combustion, and hydrogen derived from natural
gas do not present viable alternatives because they do not aggressively confront global
net carbon increases. Both nuclear power and carbon capture and storage techniques such
as clean coal technology are low carbon emission alternative energy technologies but are
reviled by other "alternative energy" advocates who argue that these energies do not
provide an alternative to harming the environment.

Energy independence alternatives

In Europe, there is a desire to be more independent of Russia supplied energy, and in the
US, there is a desire to be independent from petroleum produced in countries that often
are hostile to US interests. From this perspective, domestic natural gas, a fossil fuel, is an
alternative energy to use of foreign petroleum as a transportation fuel. This is the point of
view of T. Boone Pickens as described in his Pickens plan for energy independence, and
is reflected in legislation for the state of Florida. Although natural gas is not renewable, it
is regarded as an alternative energy from this point of view.
 Relatively new concepts for alternative energy

Floating wind farms

Floating wind farms are similar to a regular wind farm, but the difference is that they
float in the middle of the ocean. Offshore wind farms can placed in water up to 40 meters
(131 feet) deep, whereas floating wind turbines can float in water up to 700 meters (2,
297 feet) deep. The advantage of having a floating wind farm is to be able to harness the
winds from the open ocean. Without any obstructions such as hills, trees and buildings,
winds from the open ocean can reach up to speeds twice as fast as coastal areas. A
Norwegian energy company, StatoilHydro, will launch the first test period for the floating
wind farms in autumn 2009.

Biogas digestion

Biogas digestion deals with harnessing the methane gas that is released when waste
breaks down. This gas can be retrieved from garbage or sewage systems. Biogas digesters
are used to process methane gas by having bacteria break down biomass in an anaerobic
environment. The methane gas that is collected and refined can be used as an energy
source for various products.

Helioculture

Helioculture is a newly developed process which is claimed to be able to produce 20,000

gallons of fuel per acre per year, and which removes carbon dioxide from the air as a
feedstock for the fuel.

Alternative energy in transportation

Due to steadily rising gas prices in 2008 with the US national average price per
gallon of regular unleaded gas rising above $4.00 at one point, there has been a steady
movement towards developing higher fuel efficiency and more alternative fuel vehicles
for consumers. In response, many smaller companies have rapidly increased research and
development into radically different ways of powering consumer vehicles. Hybrid and
battery electric vehicles are commercially available and are gaining wider industry and
consumer acceptance worldwide.