The Oil Drum

This article is a first simplistic (but comprehensive) assessment of World Oil Exports, here defined has the total amount of liquid hydrocarbons that are surpluses in producing countries. This assessment is made by projecting in to the future fixed change rates that reflect current trends in liquids production and consumption in countries where presently the difference between the two is positive. The outcome of this assessment is worrisome.

[editor's note, by Super G] The following is a guest post from Cry Wolf.

This post is based on an excellent report titled "Why Wind Power Works in Denmark" by Hugh Sharman, which can be found here.

The main problem with most oceanic and climatic forms of renewable energy—wind, tidal, wave and ocean currents—is that electricity generation is sporadic and may not be linked to the times that power is needed. Hydroelectric power alone provides a means of storing this oceanic/climatic renewable energy for use when it is most needed making Hydro an invaluable source of electricity.

The current absence of a means of storing wind energy leaves electricity grids at the mercy of the weather and critics have long since pointed out that wind energy cannot provide a grid base-load. Furthermore, it cannot be relied upon to provide peak electricity production. So what is the point in having wind energy? It has seemed to me that wind's primary purpose has been to provide politicians with a feel good factor and grounds for claiming green credentials.

Sharman reports wind energy production data for Denmark for the whole of 2003 and shows how shockingly unreliable wind energy production is. But he also shows how the Danes and their Scandinavian neighbours have made wind energy work productively by balancing Danish wind energy output against Norwegian and Swedish Hydro generation and here in lies the main message of this post. But first, a summary of the findings.