The Energy Construct

Ben Cipiti

May 1, 2008

Mid-Town Brews

The Energy Challenge

• Climate ChangeWe need clean sources of energy.

• National SecurityWe need domestic sources of fuel.

• EconomicsWe need alternative energy sources that can compete.

• AcceptabilityWe need to compromise on solutions.

• ReliabilityWe need to continue to maintain the integrity of the grid.

Transportation Alternatives

Biofuels

Hydrogen

Electric Vehicles

Alternative transportation technologies have been driven more by hype than science and engineering. We need

more awareness about how these technologies compare, and we need politicians that understand the differences.

Biofuels• Net Energy Analysis

• Shows that it takes about as much energy to produce the fuel as the amount of energy we can get out of it (ethanol and biodiesel)—energy inputs from fertilizer, harvesting equipment, transportation, conversion.

• Interestingly, the energy inputs are mostly from fossil fuels which means that biofuels produce just as much pollution as oil.

• Land Requirements• Even converting the entire corn crop to ethanol will only displace about

15% of our oil use.

• We need to question if it is right to displace food crops (which other countries depend on) to produce fuel for our trucks and SUVs.

• Economics• The total subsidy on ethanol currently equates to about $0.89 a gallon.

Hydrogen• Technology

• The methods for producing, transporting, and finally using the hydrogen in fuel cells are 20-30 years away—we need solutions now.

• It will take a massive infrastructure change to make the hydrogen economy work

• Net Energy Analysis• The hydrogen economy is very inefficient for utilizing energy resources.• The overall efficiency is about 15%—meaning 85% of primary energy is

wasted! Production: 45%

Compression: 90%Distribution: 80%

Fuel Cell: 50%Electric Motor: 90%

0.45 x 0.90 x 0.80 x 0.50 x 0.90 = 0.15 (15%)

Electric Vehicles

• Technology• Batteries are the challenge—still need to reduce costs, increase cycle

life, increase energy density, and achieve a rapid charge capability.• But…hybrids are providing a commercial channel for improving battery

technology. Plug-in hybrids will be the next step.

• Net Energy Analysis• The overall efficiency is about 30%—twice as much as with hydrogen.

Production: 45%Transmission: 90%

Battery Storage: 90%Electric Motor: 90%

Battery Manufacturing: 90%0.45 x 0.90 x 0.90 x 0.90 x 0.90 = 0.30 (30%)

Environmental Concerns• Electric vehicles will only be as clean as our power generation

portfolio…

U.S. Electricity Portfolio

Ohio’s Electricity Portfolio

Renewable Energy

Solar

Geothermal

Hydroelectric & Ocean

Biomass

Wind

Cost and reliability are still the key challenges of expanding renewable energy. All will continue to see small scale use. New venture capital money in these areas may provide the necessary innovation to push

renewables to the next level.

Renewables in a Nutshell• Solar – expensive, low availability, will not expand substantially

until significant cost reductions• Geothermal – reliability good, but limited sites, enhanced

geothermal systems still expensive• Hydroelectric – limited sites, and environmental opposition• Ocean – technology still immature, but could make an impact

longer term• Biomass – expensive on the large scale, large land requirements,

small scale uses make more sense (digesters)• Wind – costs are competitive in many areas, most likely to expand

significantly, but reliability still an issue

Ohio Wind Resource Map• Class 4-5 wind resources

(near the shore or off-shore) could provide electricity for 5-7 ¢/kWh.

• Class 2-3 wind resources are less economic at closer to 8-10 ¢/kWh.

Nuclear Energy

Fission

Fusion

The barriers to more nuclear power are political, not technical. Fusion continues to follow the “30-year rule”

(fusion is always 30 years away).

Nuclear in a Nutshell• Fission – no greenhouse gas emission, the technology is

economic (but political forces can change that), safety and reliability is proven, public acceptability is still an issue, need to decide on a solution for nuclear waste

• Fusion – still requires extensive R&D, engineering constraints may never make fusion economic, safety and waste issues are not as rosy as proponents make it out to be

Safety of Nuclear Power

Fossil Energy

Coal

Natural Gas

Oil

For reasons spanning from climate change to national security to sustainability, we need to scale back on fossil

fuel use. Developing economic carbon sequestration technologies will be a huge challenge.

Fossil in a Nutshell• Coal – most polluting power option, plenty of resources in the U.S.,

carbon sequestration will be costly but may be competitive with natural gas and renewables

• Natural Gas – price volatility, limited U.S. resources, use should be reserved for home heating and for filling in for the low reliability of renewables

• Oil – need alternatives to strengthen national security and our economy

Carbon Sequestration

• Carbon capture technologies• Exhaust gases can be scrubbed with reagents or solids that absorb CO2—then

the reagents are heated to drive off the CO2 for compression or liquefaction.

• Membranes can be used for CO2 separation

• Gases can be cooled to condense out CO2

• CO2 could react with Magnesium or calcium silicate to form carbonates

• Algae for CO2 capture

• Carbon sequestration technologies• Pumped into caverns or wells• Deep ocean sequestration• Direct disposal of solids or biomatter.

• The energy required can drop the net efficiency of the power plant by 10-12 points, but IGCC technology may reduce that to as little as a 4 point drop—this leads to a higher cost of electricity.

The Energy Construct

What it Means for Ohio

• Zero Emission Coal• With significant coal resources, Ohio is in a great position to push for

carbon sequestration technologies. We need pilot projects, university collaborations, and public support to get the ball rolling on carbon capture.

• Wind Energy• Wind is about the only renewable resource that makes sense for Ohio.

The Lake Erie shoreline provides an incredible potential for both on-shore and off-shore wind farms.

• Nuclear Energy• Ohio needs another energy option besides coal and wind. Nuclear is a

proven and safe energy option that needs to be considered. Expansion at Davis Besse and Perry can occur in the near term, while green-field plants will take considerably longer to get built.

Additional Data

Ohio Power Plants