Category: Blog (Page 7 of 10)

For too long we in America have been wasting time blaming the energy industry or the government for failure to adopt a national energy strategy, when we should take part of the responsibility in creating the plan.  Leaders throughout this nation and throughout the world must drive the process for energy sustainability by evaluating how they can best leverage their natural resources.    It is important that we evaluate our own energy usage and how that impacts the environment.

From my experiences in the energy industry and in business development, I share with you my thoughts as to how best approach the challenges.  Many reading this article may have already implemented an energy plan yet I encourage you to continue to fine tune your energy goals and objectives.

The following points involve leadership performance that leads to energy sustainability.  The points can be used by a leader individually and/or the leader’s team/business to achieve energy and environmental goals.  The applications can be used at home, business, and institutions.  The following steps are not just for those residing in America, but globally as well.

1.  Prioritize energy usage.

Power generation-   Determine not only the energy costs but the resources of the energy being used.  Utilize the best source of energy, i.e. natural gas, wind, solar, other.

Evaluate energy usage by determining the best use of lighting, heating and air conditioning, temperature control, office equipment…How many light bulbs are in use and actually needed?  How many hours are lights left in use/on per month?  How many hours are used for AC/Heat per month?

How often are air filters changed and should be changed?

Transportation-   Review current and actual transportation needs.

How many miles are driven per month?  How many gallons of gasoline are used per month?  How many miles are flown per month?  What are the current costs?  What equipment uses the most energy?

Evaluate the best transportation for future usage, i.e. electric vehicle, CNG vehicle…

2. Establish guidelines for environmental preservation.

First, it is important to determine the use of water and how to improve its usage.

A review of Wastewater, Air, Recycling and Remediation areas should be implemented.  A plan of action should be created and executed.

3.  Achieve Energy Efficiency- residential and business.

Areas of review should include the consideration of the following:

-Solid state lighting (LED’s)

-Smart windows

-Insulations

-HVAC

-Organic Solar Cells

-Carbon composites

-Energy efficient products.

4.  Develop and Maintain Energy Infrastructure.

Among the ways that can improve energy infrastructure:

-Automation

-Smart Metering

-Smart Grid

-Natural Gas Applications

-Rooftop solar PV

-Wind

5.  Create A Working Energy Sustainability Plan(s) and Goals.

What other ways can we strive for energy efficiency and environmental preservation?

It is important to establish realistic and achievable goals.  For example, it may be good to set a goal based upon a percentage of energy costs savings over a period of years.  You will need to measure…create a budget.  For example, include your utility companies by asking for their advice.

This article is an overview of how to begin to design and implement an energy plan which achieves energy sustainability.  I hope it is a helpful tool.  It is time for us to take the lead in evaluating our energy impact individually and in the workplace.  Together, we can make a difference!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peoplesenergyplan.com

Facebook:  America Needs America’s Energy , with 5000 supporters plus and growing.  —   America Needs America’s Energy:  Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

Without the sun, life could not exist on earth. Plants use the sun’s light to make food, and hundreds of millions of years ago, decaying plants produced the coal, oil and natural gas that we use today. Solar energy uses technology to capture the power from the sun’s rays. At present, the Delaware Nation in Oklahoma is constructing a 37.5 kilowatt solar array on the roof of its complex that is expected to supply 30 percent of power for the buildings. Chevron Corporation is also relying on steam generated by solar panels in its oil field in Coalinga, California, to heat crude oil. Photovoltaic (PVs) cells, concentrating solar power technologies and solar-heated water, are other solar technologies being developed by the Department of Energy. PV cells are used for everything from powering watches to the electric grid.

Solar Pros:
1) Solar energy is secure,
2) Solar energy is normally reliable in certain areas of the country,
3) Solar energy is clean.

Solar Cons:
1) Solar energy can be costly to produce,
2) Solar energy is largely financed by government incentives.

The Solar Energy Industry is at a crossroads as stated in an example in the March 25, 2013 issue of USA Today: “BrightSource Energy is planning to open its $2.2 billion electricity plant, which it is building with partners NRG Energy and Google, near Las Vegas…but, (BrightSource) still scrambles for money.”

The necessary capital necessary to launch solar energy to the mass markets is very challenging. “The solar business is another example where only a few companies have paid off for the investors.”

As consumers of energy, we must drive the process, evaluating how we can best leverage our natural resources here at home to ensure long-term energy independence and security. Continued research and technological advancement will play an important role in the future of solar energy.
U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development And America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

PricewaterhouseCoopers with the support of the National Association of Manufacturers released a report titled, “Shale Gas:  A Renaissance in U. S. Manufacturing?”  The report concluded that a strong national shale play effort could result in 1 million new manufacturing  jobs by 2025.

The national shale play effort is already showing strong results for manufacturers.  Nucor, a manufacture, is building a $750 million iron facility in Louisiana and has announced a $3 billion joint venture with Encana for 20 years of access to its natural gas production.  Mitsubishi plans to build an acrylic-resin processing plant adjacent to one of Dow Chemical’s new ethylene plants.  Fertilizer manufacturer CF Industries is spending $2.1 billion to expand its fertilizer manufacturing operations.  Formosa Plastics increased the size of the Texas ethylene plant.  (American Oil & Gas Reporter)

It has also been reported that foreign based manufacturers are seeking to build operations in the US:

Austrian steel manufacturer Voestalpine AG, South African energy company-Sasol plans to build a $11 billion plus gas-to-liquids plant in Louisiana, and Egyptian fertilizer manufacturer Orascom plan to build a fertilizer facility in Louisiana.

In March, I had the opportunity of meeting Jeff Immelt, head of GE, in Houston at Rice University’s annual Energy Directors Institute.  He stated that GE was committed to strengthening the energy industry.  In fact, a week later, it was great to hear about GE’s announcement of committing $110 million to an Oklahoma research center with the focus being the oil and gas industry.

GE states that “the energy industry needs technology to work in subsea oil fields, improve hydraulic fracturing techniques and transport oil around the world.”

The shale gas efforts in the US will need to obtain approximately $250 billion in capital expenditures in the natural gas, natural gas liquids, and oil midstream sectors over the next 20 years due to infrastructure needs.  America can meet the challenge!

U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development And America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com    Facebook:  America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting.  —   America Needs America’s Energy:  Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

In my book, “America Needs America’s Energy”, I stated that “the book was dedicated to the proposition that we need an energy revolution in this country right now, and we must be the leaders of it. By turning to new technologies, innovation, and the enduring American spirit that has enabled us to overcome every challenge this nation has faced since our founding, the goal of total energy independence can be achieved before it is too late.”

I go on to say that “We are the ones who will have to do it, because our societal institutions have proven they are not up to the task. It is time to take a stand, evaluate your own impact on our nation, and play your part in preserving our country. Energy is the future of America and America Needs America’s Energy.”

Thanks to research and technological advancement, we have seen a great surge in oil and gas activity. With hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling alone, the US oil and natural gas production has dramatically increased. In fact, this same science can be applied internationally.

America and for that matter, Oklahoma is rising to the occasion to be a leader in research and technological advancement.

The State’s universities are taking the lead. The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa are each involved in energy research.

The first Petroleum Land Management program in the world was established in 1958 at the University of Oklahoma. The program changed its name and focus to Energy Management in 1999. The Energy Executive Management Program was added in 2011. I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the Inaugural Dinner of the Executive Program.

There are four core energy colleges at OU: the Michael F. Price College of Business, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences and the College of Law. The Center in Geophysics remains an important center for research in the world of geophysics.

Oklahoma State University is number 5 on the US EPA’s Top 20 College and University list of the largest green power purchasers.

The OSU Biobased Products and Energy Center has researchers who are addressing the most important issues in the conversion of agricultural resources to liquid fuel and other value-added products.

The University of Tulsa has the Institute of Alternative Energy. The Institute is a multi-disciplinary
research group established by the Research Office in 2007 to promote next-generation energy research.

These are only a few examples of energy research and technological advancement being performed in the State. Oklahoma is definitely taking a lead.

U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development And America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

Several years ago, I received a call from a good friend of mine, Dr. Dennis O’Brien who was serving at time as Director of Economic Policy at The University of Oklahoma’s Sarkeys Energy Center. (Dennis had served as an executive in the oil and gas industry and had held a subcabinet U. S. Department of Energy post. Therefore, he had access to many global energy leaders.)

Dennis asked me if I would be interested in having the president of PDVSA, the national company of Venezuela, be a featured speaker at the International Energy Policy Conference which I chaired and founded. I was definitely excited about the opportunity and the president of PDVSA did speak at the conference.

The tensions between the US and Venezuela have dramatically increased since then. For a few years, I was able to maintain contact with representatives of PDVSA. Communication was cut off during the leadership of Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chavez.

With Mr. Chavez’s recent death, comes the opportunity for Venezuela to regain its full energy potential. It will take years to do so, but it is extremely needed.

Chavez caused firings of many highly qualified petroleum professionals, some of which I knew, and he was not an effective energy leader. It should be noted that Chavez’s leadership or lack of caused ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips for example to leave Venezuela in 2007.

Venezuela reportedly has one of the world’s largest oil reserves but the output has declined to 2.5 million barrels per day.

We will wait and see if US companies are once again allowed to be a major force in oil exploration in Venezuela. In the meantime, we will stay focused: U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development and America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

Competition is well under way to provide efficient vehicles for the US, as well as the world.

Electric vehicles have been addressed by many as the answer to our future energy transportation needs. A great deal of the push for the electric car is because of the assurance of zero emissions.

Plug-in or electric cars, hybrids or flex-fuel cars, and CNG cars today include Prius, Chevy Volt, BYD F3DM, Aptera 2e, Honda Civic GX and Nissan Leaf. For instance, models like the Toyota Prius combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor, delivering as much as fifty miles to the gallon.

There are issues involved currently, for example, the electric car has a limited traveling range, and needs battery charging.

Myth or not? The electric vehicle is Green and does not contribute to global warming.

Electric cars are not emitting carbon dioxide directly. However, just to mine for lithium is not a total green proposition and the recharging of the battery using electricity comes from primarily fossil fuels. Therefore, the average electric car is emitting carbon dioxide indirectly.

Also, there is the charging of the battery which gives a brief range of 70 miles such as used by the Nissan Leaf. With that said, there are approximately 75,000 plug-in vehicles on the road in the U. S. presently. Sales are expected to be over 70,000 this year and 100,000 next year.

Is there a future for the electric car? Over time with more research and development this may become a reality. The real question is whether electric cars will grow enough in popularity to be of significance in the years ahead.

U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development.
America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com
Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

First of all, I want to thank many of you for your support and encouragement! As was recently announced, I am pleased to share with you that my book “America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan” has been named as one of ten finalists under the category of political science for Book of the Year Award by Foreword Reviews. The winners will be announced in Chicago on June 28th at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference.

Also, thank you to Western Oklahoma and Elk City followers of the Facebook Page- America Needs America’s Energy. Of the over 5000 followers as of this writing, Elk City stands at number 4 in most supporters. The top ten cities by the number of followers are: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Edmond, 3. New York City, 4. Elk City, 5. Los Angeles, 6. Chicago, 7. Houston, 8. Atlanta, 9. Brooklyn, NY, and 10. Las Vegas, NV. Tulsa is number 12.

As Elk City and Western Oklahoma citizens are very aware of, the oil and gas industry is boosting the economy by providing jobs. The energy industry is an important economic driver for this Nation and that message needs to be told across the country as we “Create Together the People’s Energy Plan”.

For the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, i.e. oil and gas extraction/drilling development, employment has increased by over 60 percent or nearly 194,000 jobs during 2001 to 2011. The upstream energy sector makes up approximately one-fourth of the total oil and gas related employment.

What has contributed to the increase in employment? Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have served in great measure to the increase in employment.

Employment in 2012 nationwide shows a differing trend between upstream and the US economy. Upstream employment is continuing to increase, averaging 24 percent higher compared with the 2008 US economic impact.

Upstream employment has increased over two times in many states with the largest increase in North Dakota and Pennsylvania. With the activity in the Bakkan trend, North Dakota has gone from 1,500 jobs in 2001 to close to 10,000 jobs in 2011. In Pennsylvania, upstream employment jumped from 3,500 jobs in 2001 to over 17,500 jobs in 2011.

During the 2001 to 2011 timeframe, upstream employment results were: Oklahoma adding 22,600 jobs, Colorado adding 14,900 jobs, Wyoming adding 6,400 jobs and New Mexico adding 5,400 jobs.

The overall oil and gas onshore industry sector efforts resulted in US GDP of $321 billion in 2010. It is estimated that federal, state taxes, royalty payments, leases bonuses and other payments totaled $69 billion in 2010. The Oklahoma energy industry has accounted for over 50 billion dollars of Oklahoma’s State Product.

The Oklahoma energy workforce has provided over the last several years, nearly $1 billion in gross production taxes alone.

By 2015, IHS CERA forecasts that shale and other unconventional resources will be responsible for 2.5 million jobs, increasing to 3 million by 2020.

Bottom-line, U. S. Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Development.
America Needs America’s Energy!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, with 5000 supporters and counting. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

Today, oil provides more than 96 percent of the fuel for the US transportation fleet. Despite the recent increase in our oil reserves, America remains heavily dependent on crude oil imports. From January 2011 to October 2011, America was the world’s largest importer of crude oil, taking in 2.7 billion barrels of oil worth roughly $280 billion. In 2010 the US imported approximately 11.8 million barrels of petroleum per day, which accounted for almost half of the petroleum consumed in the country.

The average American consumer has no idea of the immense number of items they use that are petroleum-based products, including CD players, dentures, insect repellant, and running shoes, to name but a few. To transport oil to the manufacturers of these products requires a huge infrastructure.

The antiquated state of the US infrastructure is another important reason why the Keystone XL Pipeline project is so crucial to our energy security. “Resistance to the completion of Canada’s Keystone XL pipeline could deny US consumers access to a voluminous supply of oil and the jobs that would attend its creation and operation,” asserted Kenneth P. Green of the American Enterprise Institute.

Oil Pros:
1) Oil has high heating value,
2) Gasoline and petroleum products are easily accessible by consumers,
3) Oil is used in thousands of everyday products, 4) Oil is easily distributed.

Oil Cons:
1) Burning oil releases extra carbon dioxide,
2) Oil carries geopolitical risk to its supply and demand,
3) Oil is now harder to find, thus more expensive,
4) Used oil is difficult to clean and recycle.

In 2008, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, broke ground in his book, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less, noting “America is suffering from an artificial energy crisis that is also a dangerous national security crisis—artificial, because America is gifted with enormous reserves of energy.” What do you think?

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com
Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

Men and women have greatly sacrificed over the years so that we could have energy to drive our cars, watch television, listen to the radio, and provide us energy security. In The Secret of Sherwood Forest, authors Guy H. Woodward and Grace Steele Woodward reveal how during World War II, oilmen fought the war by following the drill bit, pipeline, test tube, and refinery plants wherever they led throughout the world:

“Some fought the war in the frozen North at the Arctic Circle, other in the steaming, insect-infested jungles of the tropics. Others flew the hump over the Himalayas with fuel for our Chinese allies. Some spent their days and nights in the laboratories with their crucibles and test tubes. Many served their seven-day weeks as governmental aides in performing the many administrative duties demanded by total war. Thanks to a farseeing and wise nation that had refused to burden its oil industry with crushing controls by rigid laws, rules, and regulations, but had on the contrary, encouraged the men engaged in the hazardous business of finding and producing oil. Because of this policy, followed by more than twenty-five years, the United States reserves were sufficient to sustain a growing, healthy economy in time of peace and now furnished security and the ingredients of victory in time of war.”

Today, men and women continue to sacrifice for our energy needs, even though we have not had a strategic energy plan in place for sixty years. Fortunately, the increase in potential oil reserves in the US has risen dramatically over the last few years.

The increase in our oil reserves is due in part to the Bakken Play in North Dakota. During the winter, the cold climate in the Bakken makes it a difficult place to live. Yet men and women working there are committed to a strong energy future for America.

Energy companies in the Bakken and other places around the country are trying to survive, but they are burdened with rigid laws, rules and regulations. Reasonable regulations are welcome in the energy industry, burdensome regulations are very costly to business and consumers in our country.

As of 2012, the oil rig count in the US surpassed the natural gas rig count, approximately 1200 oil rigs to 800 natural gas rigs. To put this in perspective, in 1981 the total oil and gas rig count in the US reached 4530 then fell to a low of 488 in 1999.

Thanks to the men and women in the oil patch, we are presently finding ourselves with an abundance of natural gas and oil in this country!!

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com
Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!

US oil and gas producers are concerned about current problems which can be caused by the Endangered Species Act.

Recently, the industry has been addressing the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) which is being considered to be classified as endangered. The bird’s range area includes parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. Including the LPC, the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service has more than 250 species determinations pending under a settlement agreement as reported by the Kansas Oil & Gas Association.

The industry supports environmental preservation. However, the industry is challenging the process by which there are the classifications of “endangered”. Should the lesser prairie chicken (LPC) be listed as threatened or endangered a large area will be impacted, in fact, an area totaling 18 million acres. The costs and staffing associated with this would add a burden to the production equation.

A large portion of the area regarding LPC is currently being developed for oil and gas or under plans for development. The industry has been very proactive to protect the environment. The situation is very similar to the proposed listing of the sagebrush lizard located in Texas and New in 2011.

Environmental preservation is needed. The elimination of unnecessary regulations is also a must.

Please let me know what you think, go to www.peopleseenergyplan.com Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy, America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!