Energy Resources: Examining the Facts

by Jerry A. McBeath

Overview

Energy Resources: Examining the Facts provides an authoritative, comprehensive overview of economic, political, and environmental drivers of America's energy picture, from trends in the production and consumption of fossil fuels and renewables to the state of the national energy grid.

Energy Resources: Examining the Facts is part of a series that uses evidence-based documentation to examine the veracity of claims and beliefs about high-profile issues in American culture and politics. Each book in the Contemporary Debates series is intended to puncture rather than perpetuate myths that diminish our understanding of important policies and positions; to provide needed context for misleading statements and claims; and to confirm the factual accuracy of other assertions.

This installment in the series provides a comprehensive overview of all energy resources used in the United States, including fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal), nuclear power, hydropower, other major renewables (solar and wind), and even smaller energy sources, such as wood products (biomass), ethanol, plant-based fluids/gases, and geothermal, that have meaningful potential for future growth. The framework of laws and regulations in which energy resources are developed, produced, and overseen is described, as are the ways in which economic development powered by different energy resources is impacting people and ecosystems in the United States and around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440869419
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/04/2022
Series:	Contemporary Debates
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.85(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jerry A. McBeath, PhD, is professor of political science emeritus, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

How to Use This Book xi

Introduction xiii

1 Fossil Fuels 1

Q1 Is the United States likely to run out of fossil fuels by 2045? 2

Q2 Has market concentration increased among U.S. oil and gas producers? 5

Q3 Is the United States dependent on Middle Eastern oil? 11

Q4 Did U.S. plans over several administrations to achieve "energy independence" bring about a large increase of shale oil and gas supplies during the 2010s? 15

Q5 Have market conditions that favor natural gas and renewable energy and place coal at a competitive disadvantage been too great for pro-coal politicians and the coal industry to effectively counter? 21

Q6 Are total federal and state subsidies greater for fossil fuels than for the major renewables? 29

Q7 Are electric vehicles (EVs) likely to replace up to 30 percent of the current market share of gas-guzzling transport in the United States by 2045? 32

Q8 Do some experts expect renewables to account for the majority of American energy consumption by 2045? 40

2 Major Renewables 45

Q9 Is it realistic for the United States to develop an energy system entirely based on renewable power by 2050? 47

Q10 Is it feasible to double the amount of hydropower in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25-50 years)? 55

Q11 Is it feasible to double the amount of nuclear power in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25-50 years)? 60

Q12 Is development of wind and solar power lagging because of an insufficient production of metals (e.g., cobalt, cadmium, lithium, and rare earth elements) used in those technologies? 67

Q13 Are conflicts over public land use on the increase between anti-fossil fuel groups and the (oil/gas/coal) industry? 79

Q14 Are state ballot propositions to limit fossil fuels and renewables becoming more popular? 87

3 Alternatives 91

Q15 Will use of biomass to generate energy significantly increase by 2045? 92

Q16 Will a higher percentage of ethanol in fuel (E15) dominate the transportation energy market by 2025? 98

Q17 Are alternative fuels and gases from renewable sources likely to become more important for heating/electricity generation by 2045? 104

Q18 Will geothermal and tidal/wave power significantly increase in the U.S. energy profile by 2045? 110

4 Energy in Action 115

Q19 Does the current power grid have sufficient reliability and resilience to meet expected blackouts? 117

Q20 Will the electricity grid of the United States have sufficient capability by 2030 to meet expected needs for power in the next generation? 122

Q21 Is the U.S. power grid sustainable? 127

Q22 Is electricity affordable for most Americans? 130

Q23 Can the U.S. energy grid be protected against environmental and security threats and pressures? 135

Q24 Can the U.S. power grid be adequately protected against risks of electronic disruptions from hackers, terrorist organizations, and hostile nations (e.g., Iran, Russia, China)? 140

5 Legal and Regulatory Frameworks 147

Q25 Has divided control of the executive and legislative branches constrained presidential administrations from making major changes in U.S. energy policy in recent years? 149

Q26 Are partisan political considerations increasingly dictating how federal agencies and departments-including those related to the energy industry-operate and who leads them? 153

Q27 Did the Trump administration politicize scientific research in U.S. energy and environmental policymaking? 156

Q28 Did regulatory reforms proposed by the Trump administration resemble those of any other president in the postwar era? 162

Q29 Have federal departments and regulatory agencies been "captured" by the industries and business interests they are responsible for regulating? 170

Q30 Have federal-state conflicts over energy and environmental policies increased in the last decade? 174

6 Trade-Offs 181

Q31 Has the Clean Air Act and subsequent amendments improved U.S. air quality in the last decade? 184

Q32 Have CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards reduced carbon dioxide emissions? 190

Q33 Do most Americans believe that continued consumption of fossil fuels will increase the severity of climate change? 194

Q34 Have clean water laws and regulations improved U.S. water quality? 201

Q35 Have oil and gas exploration and development reduced critical habitat of endangered species in the United States? 207

Q36 Did environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) file fewer lawsuits against government agencies in the 2010s than the 1970s? 213

Q37 Is the proposed green new deal (GND) a feasible model for environmental improvement in the United States? 218

7 Conclusions 223

Q38 Has the U.S. energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables been stopped or merely delayed by economic volatility and the COVID-19 global health crisis? 224

Q39 Have the separation of powers (especially the courts' increasing strength) and federalism become major determinants of U.S. energy and environmental outcomes? 234

Abbreviations 241

Index 249