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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

There are 8 – 10 places around the world that I’ve unofficially “annexed” as offices-outside-my-office – you know, venues to meet business contacts when an office setting is unnecessary.

I try to make these settings a treat for my guests. When people come to see me from Nebraska, for instance, how likely is it that they’d like to see the inside of a steak house? That’s why I’ve annexed One Pico, a nice restaurant in Santa Monica, overlooking the deep blue Pacific — a view that I have to think most Nebraskans would find more appealing.

At noon today, I have a meeting in which I’ll be talking about electric vehicles with a local businessman. We’ll be (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Uncategorized

A few people around here routinely tell me to knock off my “the sky is falling” assessment of the state of the planet.  Whether these folks are oil company shills or simply just silly optimists is something I’ll probably never know.  But here’s a certainty: in comparison to some, I’m a regular Pollyanna.

A reader commented the other day that he was lucky enough to take a course at the University of Manitoba taught by the highly decorated Vaclav Smil.

“We are structurally cooked,” says Smil. “(Saving our civilization) is doable, but doable only by catastrophe and crisis,” he said in October. Want an eye-opener?  Here’s a link to some of Smil’s viewpoints.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Uncategorized

When future American historians of the 22nd Century look back in an attempt to understand the many trials, tribulations and, yes, perhaps the wisdom of our time, I hope they will be able to point with the same pride in us as I hope we can muster on the 250th Anniversary of the founding of America (July 4th, 2026) when we proclaimed our “Energy Independence Day”. We have 15 and a half years to make that happen. Let’s do it!

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

We hear a great deal about partisan bickering in Washington, but according to a webinar I attended this morning on power transmission, the governors of each state on the eastern seaboard of the US from Maine to Virginia are all in complete accord on the imperative to develop offshore wind. “There are a couple of extremely conservative Republicans in that mix,” one speaker noted. “But let me tell you, if I showed you each governor’s statement on this subject and removed the names, I would challenge you to tell me who made which statement.”

That’s encouraging.

So is the raw potential to share power across what are now regional grids. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Question: Approximately what percentage of the theoretical maximum amount of energy of the wind, flowing past the familiar three-blade turbines, is extracted and moved into the turbine shaft?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance: We come across numerous attempts to improve this figure.  And, as the answer shows, there IS room for improvement – though not as much as the casual observer may think. Having said that, one of the top investment opportunities I recommend here is headed by a colleague who, I believe, really has made an important breakthrough.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I just got off the phone with an associate of Dr. George Miley, distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, recipient of the prestigious Edward Teller Medal from the American Nuclear Society and the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Award in Fusion Technology. Apparently, Dr. Miley has pioneered an innovative approach generating useful energy from fusion.

As I discuss in my book on renewables, fusion energy has remained the elusive Holy Grail of energy research for the last half century; the prospect of unlimited, clean, inexpensive energy was been very alluring. The interviews I’ve conducted on the subject have me convinced that some flavor of controlled fusion will eventually replace all the big, expensive stuff we’re continuing to build here in the early 21st Century. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I was quite surprised to see that global consultancy McKinsey ranks the US as the country most likely to lead the emergence of electric cars as a means of mass transportation. I wish I had access to the full report, as it apparently uses nine variables; I’d love to know which ones. They ultimately puts the US ahead of France, Germany and other western European countries that have up to now been in the vanguard of clean-vehicle technology. China is tied with Germany in third place. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

What will the new energy future look like?

Black & Veatch, a global engineering, construction and consulting firm based in Kansas, offers a view. The company provides energy report to its clients, including those in the electric utilities and related energy providers. The most recent research report takes a view of energy in U.S. through 2035, entitled What Will Be the North American Energy Industry’s “New Normal”.

The company acknowledges that long-term forecasts are inherently tentative because government policies (or lack thereof), technological advances and such cannot be foreseen. “One crystal ball is not enough, but it’s hard to consider a future that stays the same,” said Mark Griffith, managing director at Black & Veatch. (Kansas City Star. Dec 20, 2010.)

Black & Veatch believes that major changes are coming to the electricity-generation industry. International demand and growth will be felt in the U.S. China and other growing economies are “game changers” for energy (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Question: Approximately how many 2’ X 2’ fluorescent lighting fixtures are there in the ceilings of US office buildings? About how many lamps light US streets?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance: LED lighting will eventually replace all these fluorescent and incandescent fixtures, as there are numerous advantages, both financially and ecologically. We have two clients in this space, both of whom are drooling over the numbers; when you check out the answer to the question named above, you’ll see why.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Do you make financial investments in clean energy? Maybe you’re managing your own 401(k). Or perhaps you’re a professional, looking to broaden your clients’ exposure in this space. In either case, let me tell you about what I’ve been up to recently.

Over a year ago, I began to promote a novel idea: at no cost or obligation, I promised to review any business plan that proposed a business solution in clean energy, electric transportation, or any product or service aimed at sustainability. I didn’t realize at the time that I would soon be on the receiving end of many hundreds of concepts.

Now it probably comes as no surprise that the vast majority of these ideas are not what anyone would call “investment grade,” to put it politely.  In fact, as suggested in this list linked here, I recommend only a dozen or two of those many hundreds – about 3%. Based on my conversations with the principals, each of these seems to me to represent a real opportunity: a solid business concept backed by a seasoned management team at the helm.

Do such investments contain risk?  Obviously.

Do I guarantee that all — or any — of them will succeed?  Certainly not.

Is your own due diligence required?  Absolutely.

But if any of them pique your interest, please let me know. If you’re serious in considering involvement, I’ll arrange a three-way call.

Here’s that link again.

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