EVWorld has a wonderfully encouraging article on renewables that begins:

Pop quiz time. The fastest growing energy sector in terms of percentage of growth in the United States between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011 was: A) natural gas, B) nuclear power, C) renewable energy?

The answer is C, renewable energy (RE) by a huge margin. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), RE grew by 27.12%. That includes biofuels, biomass, geothermal, solar, water, and wind. By comparison, natural gas production increased 13.66%, while crude oil grew 14.27%. Nuclear power, in contrast, shrunk 1.99% and coal dropped 7.16%.

All true, but one can find different facts that would support a different conclusion.  E.g., under 5% of the U.S. grid mix is renewable energy (if you don’t count hydroelectric dams), so talking about percent growth of this small number may not be the most relevant stat.  

My good friend Bill Moore is not only a terrific writer, but a man of great compassion for humanity. I thought I’d post his holiday message for those who may not have seen it. As I wrote back, “That is absolutely lovely, Bill. On behalf of all seven billion of us, thanks for being a voice of reason and compassion in a world some believe to be headed the other way.”

Dear Friend and Colleague,

Judy and I extend to you and your loved ones our warmest regards as 2011 comes to an end and a new year begins, one that is filled with as much promise as uncertainty. The year now fading saw the first tentative sales of three pioneering electric-drive cars from GM, Nissan and Mitsubishi, as well as the emergence of the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements. These events would seem to suggest the beginning of a shift — albeit an unsteady one — not only in how we power our vehicles, but more significantly, how many of us are starting to see the world and our place in it: that we aren’t alone in our desire for a safer, cleaner, more equitable global society, and that we can do something about it when we work together.

Curiously, if you research the origins of many of the customs of Christmas, you’ll find them adopted from Roman and Greek celebrations, the centerpiece of which was the temporary end of slavery for a few days, where master and servant briefly became equals; and a few fortunate souls were granted their freedom, which was marked by a cap not unlike that worn by French revolutionaries of the 18th century and later in caricature by Santa Claus. One source claimed the Saturnalia of ancient Rome — held the week starting December 17th and during which gifts were exchanged — was meant to recall a long lost ‘golden age.’ I would argue that golden age lies not behind us, but yet ahead. It is the destination towards which we all yearn, each in our own fashion.

From EV World’s perspective, it is a world were “all cars are green, bicycles rule, and public transit is fast, frequent and fun… a world where cities aren’t just smart, but they are intelligent and nurturing places to live…” You may recognize this as the introduction to our podcasts for more than a decade. When I wrote those words, I was dreaming of that future ‘golden age.’ I am pleased to report that 2011 nudged us a bit closer in that direction; and I believe 2012 will continue the momentum.

May the holidays and new year bring you all joy, good health, and the great satisfaction of having made a difference.

Bill & Judy Moore
Papillion, Nebraska
Christmas 2011

Here’s a wonderful presentation that everyone should see, EVWorld editor Bill Moore’s 30-minute talk called The Future of Mobility. What happens when we double the number of cars on the roads — from one billion, which we just hit, to two billion by 2030? Not too long ago, Beijing had a traffic jam that involved 75,000 cars and took five days to clear.  Is this just going to get worse?  And where is all the oil going to come from?  

Automakers sure must be licking their chops at that growth curve.  But are they doing some “out of the box” thinking here? 

Here are Bill’s observations on everything from new drive trains to alternate fuels to rethinking the concept of owning a car. You won’t be disappointed.

When I come across an article like this one from EVWorld’s Bill Moore: “Electric Cars and ‘Can’t Do Spirit’ of American Conservatives” I like to draw readers’ attention to it, and normally attempt to add some value in the form of commenting, elaborating, clarifying — at least amplifying.  Here, however, he’s nailed this subject so perfectly that I can’t think of anything else to say.

Bill notes the many outrageous errors in a piece in “The Week” entitled, “The Folly of Doubling Down on Electric Cars,” in which journalist Ed Morrisey begins with the line: “So-called green vehicles are expensive, tough to dispose of, and may actually increase America’s dependence on foreign sources.” He goes on to explain how the car companies can’t sell EVs, because Americans simply don’t want them. 

Morrisey takes a considerable drubbing – even from his followers – who make comments like “Please get your facts straight before you print trash,” and “You should retract this article. Did the author read tea leaves as research?”  And here’s my own contribution — not an opinion, but a fact:  Paul Scott, a personal friend who sells the LEAF at a local Nissan dealership, has customers coming out his ears; the problem, if there is one, is producing cars fast enough to satisfy demand. 

But Moore says that his favorite comment on the article was: “This column by Edward Morrisey perfectly encapsulates the modern Can’t Do Spirit of American Conservatives. Their rallying cry should really be closer to ‘Why Bother?’ than ‘Don’t Tread On Me.’”

I’m with you there, pal; I really don’t understand this behavior. I know that most conservatives are completely sincere in their desire to see a stronger and more vibrant America.  To that end, I submit that maybe it’s time they stop bashing their country’s attempts to lead the world in the Energy Revolution that lies at the very core of the global industry.

I would have ridden my bicycle there to meet Chuanfu.  In 1995, he built a company from scratch that now employs more than 200,000 people, and aspires to be the world leader in electric cars.

And I’m not betting against him, even though the company takes a very interesting and controversial approach to business: vertical integration, taken to the max. They do the mining, build the battery cells, assemble the packs, and then integrate the packs into the cars. On top of that, they’re all over the clean energy required to charge the batteries in the most eco-sensitive manner possible, investing heavily in renewables — especially solar.

Does this extreme level of verticality seem improbable in a world of global commerce where micro-specialization is the order of the day? So it would appear to me. But I’m not one of the world’s wealthiest people — nor did I spend the weekend with one.  Grrr.

By the way, this is not an academic question. Along the way, there are going to be plenty of hot business opportunities. But where exactly do they lie?

Each week we see the product announcements, the wild claims, and the editorials. We read the speculation on the EV adoption curve, a lot of which directly contradicts itself; some reports are euphoric, some cautious, others dismal. At the same time, we hear the rumors. Warren Buffet is heavily involved. And Bill Gates….

So what does all this mean? And again, even more important, where are the profit opportunities for people like you and me?

Let me call your attention to a special 68-page report that the editor-in-chief of EVWorld.com, Bill Moore just wrote. For the first time in the 13 years he’s been covering the industry, he’s offering bold predictions about specifically what will happen during the rest of 2011 and beyond from a financial perspective.

Bill traverses the globe, going to conferences, interviewing the top players in the industry. From his travels, he’s been able to piece together the most likely, critically important events that will shape the immediate EV future – and pave the way for you, if you’re interested, to profit handsomely from involvement with the right parties and the right times.

Bill’s report “The Top Trends Shaping The World Of Electric Vehicles in 2011 and Beyond” normally costs $395.00. But if you buy it before May 10, 2011, it’s yours for only $195 – a savings of more than 50%. And, if you’re not 100% satisfied with the level of scope and insight, we’ll provide you a complete, no-questions-asked refund. Click here to get the report:

The Top Trends Shaping The World Of Electric Vehicles in 2011 and Beyond

In “Top Trends Shaping The World Of Electric Vehicles in 2011 and Beyond,” Bill presents his take on the most probable winners (and losers). He does what he can to separate the truth from the fiction, and points to the few meaningful facts in a sea of trivialities and outright bull.

Here’s that link again:

The Top Trends Shaping The World Of Electric Vehicles in 2011 and Beyond

As I’ve mentioned, I’m proud to be a partner (albeit a small minority interest) in EVWorld.com, and privileged to be an associate of its founder and editor-in-chief Bill Moore, who has ably run the site for the benefit of an ever-growing readership since its 1998 inception.  Though the site is focused on electric transportation, visitors will find references to a great number of more general topics within the realm of sustainable living.

When I called Bill earlier this afternoon, he had just returned from a seminar on aquaponics – a set of technologies for growing fruits and vegetables – as well as raising fish — in an entire ecosystem that involves the plants and fish, as well as (good) bacteria and constantly moving water.

He believes (and it’s hard to dispute) that, in addition to energy, the world is soon to face crises in water and food, so it’s good to explore a system, one of whose benefits is that it uses only 10% of the water that is required to grow plants with traditional means.

There are tons of great videos on aquaponics on YouTube; I hope you’ll check them out.

I’m glad to see so much coverage of electric transportation in the mainstream press. You know you’re making headway when msn.com is running “The Five Things You Should Know About Electric Vehicles” among its up-to-the-minute coverage of Brittany Spears, Charlie Sheen and hot guacamole recipes for Super Sunday.

However, with that much exposure – especially to people who may be just starting out on their path to learn about all this EV stuff — comes the responsibility to tell the story correctly.

Below is an excerpt of part of the discussion. Is it wrong? Very. Why? I don’t know. It would seem that making a call or two to check the facts with a subject-matter expert before publishing an article on one of the largest websites on Earth would be a strong idea.

“….Most utility plants burn coal to produce electricity. So is this “greener” than driving a gasoline car? It looks like the answer is yes, but not by much. Different regions of the country have cleaner power than others, so it matters where you live. The time of day also matters: Charge up at night and you’re probably using coal. Charge during the day and there’s a better chance it’s natural gas or nuclear power, both of which have lower emissions.”

In truth, because coal-fired power plants run 24 hours per day at the same rate of production, 80% of the off-peak power (at night) is dumped, as it’s generally too expensive to store. Charging an EV at night (the norm, of course) uses power that otherwise would have been wasted. According to reports I’ve seen, we could put 90 million EVs on the road this afternoon with very little impact on the grid.  That’s quite a few.

Again, a five-minute call to EVWorld.com or dozens of other places would clear all this up, thus avoiding misinforming millions of people trying to make sense of an important new phenomenon.

When I did this Skype-based interview with EVWorld.com editor Bill Moore the other day, I was again reminded of the regional differences in culture in our country.  Yes, it’s cliche’, but Bill’s from Omaha, and people from places like that really do tend to be honest, unpretentious, mean-what-you-say types. And, although I did most of the talking in the interview, I think his genuine nature comes across immediately.

I receive proof of Bill’s gentlemanliness constantly.  When I go to conferences and introduce myself to people who don’t know 2GreenEnergy, I quickly mention EVWorld (it’s been around since the mid-1990s) and I tell them that I’m proud to be Bill Moore’s partner in the enterprise.  I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t instantly respect me for having had the common sense and good taste for having come on board.

I’m at a loss to understand the downside of this understated way of life, nor the upside of being a loudmouth nouveau riche jerk.  I know there are people who want to act like Charlie Sheen or Lindsay Lohan, but I just can’t understand why.