Energy Discussion

[Randy Daytona]

We are being so fucking stupid about the energy long game right now, it almost makes me weep.

Maybe this Iran thing and $200/barrel oil will knock some sense into the electorate.

At the 25 minute mark, he discusses the 2015 omnibus bill whereby the President can stop oil exports - and possibly refined petroleum products. Here is an explanation:

The President retains the power to restrict exports of crude oil through the imposition of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or regulations issued under that Act (other than section 754.2 of the Export Administration Regulations), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1 et seq.), or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or foreign government, including foreign governments designated as state sponsors of terrorism.

In addition, the law gives the President temporary authority to impose export licensing requirements or restrictions for one year if:

and here is the electricity price difference between Europe which went all in on wind and solar and the US which is blessed with abundant natural gas.

 

[Peekskill1941]

At the 25 minute mark, he discusses the 2015 omnibus bill whereby the President can stop oil exports - and possibly refined petroleum products. Here is an explanation:

The President retains the power to restrict exports of crude oil through the imposition of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or regulations issued under that Act (other than section 754.2 of the Export Administration Regulations), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1 et seq.), or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or foreign government, including foreign governments designated as state sponsors of terrorism.

In addition, the law gives the President temporary authority to impose export licensing requirements or restrictions for one year if:

and here is the electricity price difference between Europe which went all in on wind and solar and the US which is blessed with abundant natural gas.

View attachment 44670

FWIW I am in Europe right now. My electricity is 100% renewable (about 50% solar and the of the rest is hydro and wind.)

I pay 16.1 cents / kWh.

 

[Spekkio]

Dismantling Iran's weapons of war and offing their zealot leader is the best thing that the US has done for international security and was at least 40 years overdue.

Somehow we're licking our chops to lose 1/3 of our Navy to prevent a domestic reunification but sending Muslim extremists to the stone age they want to live in is morally abhorrent.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Dismantling Iran's weapons of war and offing their zealot leader is the best thing that the US has done for international security and was at least 40 years overdue.

Somehow we're licking our chops to lose 1/3 of our Navy to prevent a domestic reunification but sending Muslim extremists to the stone age they want to live in is morally abhorrent.

That’s quite the take. Here’s mine:

We replaced the shah in the 1970s. We pulled out of the nuclear deal. We stuck our head in the sand for decades while Iran acted badly in the region because, well, reasons.

I have very little faith that we are suddenly being smart about this and will see it through to some (as yet, unstated) logical conclusion. A Khamenei was in power before, and another one is now. Just like the Taliban in Afghanistan, nothing will have fundamentally changed when this is over. Whatever diminished resources they have left after this war, they’ll just resume their agenda of hate towards the West, and I have to concede- we have given them plenty of reason.

We are good in combat, but our long game is horrible.

 

[Randy Daytona]

That’s quite the take. Here’s mine:

We replaced the shah in the 1970s. We pulled out of the nuclear deal. We stuck our head in the sand for decades while Iran acted badly in the region because, well, reasons.

I have very little faith that we are suddenly being smart about this and will see it through to some (as yet, unstated) logical conclusion. A Khamenei was in power before, and another one is now. Just like the Taliban in Afghanistan, nothing will have fundamentally changed when this is over. Whatever diminished resources they have left after this war, they’ll just resume their agenda of hate towards the West, and I have to concede- we have given them plenty of reason.

We are good in combat, but our long game is horrible.

I tend to think Iran is just another cog in a confrontation against China. Taking away Iranian oil, Venezuelan oil, Russian shadow tanker oil - all affecting China. Interesting that in Zbigniew Brzezinski (President Carter’s National Security Adviser) book The Grand Chessboard, his concern was an alliance of China, Russia and Iran - basically MacKinder’s Heartland Theory.

As for energy, the fact that we are awash in oil, natural gas and coal and want to turn our back on natural resources within our boundaries to make ourselves utterly dependent on our biggest geopolitical rival for unreliable wind and intermittent solar - what could possibly go wrong.

Note: the Shah of Iran was installed by the CIA and MI6 in 1953, not the 1970’s. He was overthrown in 1979 - as a sidenote the late night news show Nightline with Ted Koppel started then as a daily update on the hostage drama.

 

[Peekskill1941]

I tend to think Iran is just another cog in a confrontation against China. Taking away Iranian oil, Venezuelan oil, Russian shadow tanker oil - all affecting China. Interesting that in Zbigniew Brzezinski (President Carter’s National Security Adviser) book The Grand Chessboard, his concern was an alliance of China, Russia and Iran - basically MacKinder’s Heartland Theory.

As for energy, the fact that we are awash in oil, natural gas and coal and want to turn our back on natural resources within our boundaries to make ourselves utterly dependent on our biggest geopolitical rival for unreliable wind and intermittent solar - what could possibly go wrong.

How would building wind and solar make us “utterly dependent” on our biggest geopolitical rival?

I don’t think we buy any energy from China.

Oh and wind and solar are relatively reliable and they aren’t built to be exclusively used - they have backups in the form of a) massive storage batteries and b) more often, some sort of carbon-emitting form of energy production.