EnergyHoliday.com | Energy Holiday

I just read about this conference that is ending today: http://plugin2008.com/ and I’m bummed I couldn’t make it.  Looks and sounds amazing.  Here are some excerpts from the website:

Attendees to Plug-In 2008 will enjoy highly interactive discussions involving:

• Senior representatives from the automotive manufacturers, high-technology component manufacturers, electric utilities, state and federal government, business and environmental community will articulate their vision of PHEVs.
• Exhibitors will showcase the latest innovations associated with PHEVs and supporting electricity infrastructure. Exhibits will include vehicles, batteries, powertrains, smart meters and grid management tools, and vehicle-to-home (V2H) applications.
• Engineers and scientists will share the most current technical research on PHEVs in areas including batteries, powertrains, electricity grid design, vehicle-grid communication links, vehicle to home (V2H) technology, and future vehicle to grid (V2G) connections.
• Business analysts and market researchers will discuss the business case for PHEVs, including potential adoption scenarios, customer segments, profit potential, expanded opportunities to store and utilize renewable energy, and investment demands for vehicle manufacturers and utilities.
• Policymakers will explain how current regulations impact PHEVs and the electricity grid, and how future regulatory mechanisms may accelerate the adoption of PHEVs and development of the necessary electricity infrastructure.

Clean-tech entrepreneurs, including renewable energy companies, will outline their ideas to enhance and expand the PHEV market with new technologies for vehicles, communication systems, and the electricity grid.

I’m really amped about getting a fully-electric car, so seeing what is out there and what technology has to offer would have been really great.  I’m keeping an eye on this for next year and putting this on my list of links on this page!

Just saw Michael Moore’s SiCKO documentary last night and thought it was well done and if nothing else, extremely thought-provoking.

This has nothing to do with saving energy, so I apologize, but it does relate back to some of our country’s core issues.

Sharp has released an upgraded residential solar energy system which comes in two series for integration in all types of rooftops.

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I put $99 worth of gas in my car today.  Why $99?  Because the pump won’t pump more than $99 worth of gas.  Anything more than $99 worth of gas is, well, just ridiculous.  Ask the pump, even it agrees.

I can’t wait for my Zap-X to get built: http://www.zapworld.com/zap-x-crossover.  I may have to get an electric scooter or something in the meantime.

I did a search for what $99 could have bought me on eBay.  There were about 2mil things, including:

Ugh … Someone make it stop

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This Energy IQ survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of API between June 3 and June 12, 2008 among 1,528 adults (aged 18 and over). Results were weighted for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

1. What percent of the world’s 10 biggest oil and natural gas companies based on reserves are owned and operated by foreign governments?

Source: Oil & Gas Journal, September 17, 2007, page 36.
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2. Where does ExxonMobil, the largest U.S. oil and natural gas company, rank in size among the world’s largest holders of oil reserves?

Source: The Role of National Oil Companies in the International Oil Market, August 21, 2007, page CRS-3.
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3. What percent of the world’s proven oil reserves do U.S. oil companies control?

Source: Oil & Gas Journal, December 24, 2007. pages 24-25.
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4. According to 2007 government projections, about what percent of global energy demand in 2030 will be met by fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal?

Source: IEA, World Energy Outlook 2007, Page 74, Table 1.1.
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5. In 2007, how many cents did the U.S. oil and natural gas industry earn on every dollar of sales?

Source: Oil Daily, March 17, 2008, Profit Profile section.
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6. What percentage of U.S. oil companies’ stocks are owned by pension plans and retirement accounts?

Source: SONECON Report: The Distribution of Ownership of U.S. Oil and Gas
Companies, September 2007.
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7. What percent of U.S. oil companies’ stocks are owned by corporate insiders?

Source: SONECON Report: The Distribution of Ownership of U.S. Oil and Gas
Companies, September 2007.
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8. In the first quarter of 2008, the price of crude oil has accounted for what percent of gasoline prices at the pump?

Source: U.S. DOE on average for January-March 2008. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu.gaspump.html.
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9. In the first quarter of 2008, federal, state and local taxes accounted for what percentage of gasoline prices at the pump?

Source: U.S. DOE on average for January-March 2008. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu.gaspump.html.
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10. In the first quarter of 2008, refining, distribution and service station costs accounted for what percent of gasoline prices at the pump?

Source: U.S. DOE on average for January-March 2008. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu.gaspump.html.
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11. Current government policy restricts access to what percentage of potential offshore U.S. oil and natural gas development sites, off the coasts of the lower 48 states?

Source: MMS, “Oil and Gas Resources in OCS Areas Unavailable for Leasing and
Development.” May 2007.
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12. From 2000 through 2005, U.S. oil and gas companies invested how many billions of dollars on emerging energy technologies in North America (such as biomass, wind, solar, alternative fuel vehicles, gas-to-liquids and oil shale)?

Source: Oil and Gas Industry Investments in Alternative Energy, Frontier Hydrocarbons
and Advanced End-use Technologies, IER/CEE. May 2006.
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13. According to Oil & Gas Journal, at 2007 production rates, about how many years will the global “known reserves” of oil last?

Source: Oil & Gas Journal, Worldwide Report, December 24, 2007.
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14. According to 2008 projections, what percentage of U.S. energy use is currently supplied by renewable sources?

Source: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2008, Table A1.
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15. According to 2008 projections, what percentage of U.S. energy use will be supplied by renewable sources by 2030?

Source: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2008, Table A1.
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16. If corn ethanol were to replace gasoline, what percentage of U.S. passenger cars could be fueled using all of the corn harvested in 2006?

Source: Office of Highway Policy Information – Federal Highway Administration,“Highway Statistics 2006.” Section V, Table VM-1. Last updated April 9, 2008. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs06/xls/vm1.xls
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17. In 2007, which of the following countries was the largest U.S. supplier of imported oil?

Source: EIA, Petroleum Supply Monthly, February 2008, Table 52 and 4. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_ep00_im0_mbbl_a.htm;. May 2008.
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18. In 2007, what percent of oil the U.S. consumed came from the Persian Gulf countries?

Source: EIA, Petroleum Supply Monthly, February 2008, Table 52 and 4.
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19. In 2007, what percent of oil and natural gas the U.S. consumed was produced in North America?

Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2007.
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20. In 2007, the U.S. imported about what percent of its oil?

Source: EIA, Petroleum Supply Monthly, February 2008, Table 52 and 4.
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21. How much more energy will the United States need in the next 20 years?

Source: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2008, Table A1.
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22. Assuming huge increases in alternative energy sources, what percentage of the U.S. energy demand will be met by oil and natural gas in 2030?

Source: SOURCE: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2008, Table A1.
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23. Since 1985, U.S. refining capacity has_____________.

Source: EIA, Number and Capacity of Petroleum Refineries, http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/refinery_capacity_data/refcapacity.html.
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At a time when millions of Americans are focusing on energy issues and policies, the Energy IQ Survey finds that most U.S. adults have a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding energy supply and demand, as well as the role that America’s oil and natural gas companies play in the economy. In fact, when presented with 20 multiple choice questions, on average more than 25 percent of respondents said they were "not sure" which answer was correct, and in many cases people chose the response that is farthest from the correct answer. Among the survey’s key findings:

Those surveyed were surprised to learn the United States imports much less oil from the Middle East than they thought.

• When asked which country was the largest U.S. supplier of oil, almost 60 percent incorrectly chose Saudi Arabia. Only one in 10 people correctly identified Canada as the largest supplier to the United States.
   
• Only eight percent correctly noted that less than 15 percent of the oil the United States consumers comes from Persian Gulf countries. One-quarter of people chose the figure between 46 and 60 percent – three to four times higher than the actual figure.

People overestimate the profits of U.S. oil and natural gas companies and have very little understanding of the significant investments these companies are making in emerging energy technologies.

• When questioned about profits, 42 percent of respondents thought that the industry earned between 16 and 20 cents on every dollar of gasoline sales in 2006. In fact, the industry earned just 9.5 cents– a choice (6 to 10 cents) that was selected by only 14 percent of respondents.

This is the first post to EnergyHoliday.com.  This is the spark that lights the inferno, or perhaps more appropriately, the first droplet that douses it.

When I told my wife I was starting this project, she didn’t need to ask me why.  My motives are purely selfish.  I’m not an ecologist; I’m not an evangelist; I’m not an environmentalist.  In fact, if anything, I’m an entrepreneur (and not a very good one at that) who just wants…scratch that…who needs to see a change in our country to restore the faith and the pride I once had for our great nation.  Our nation, who is supposed to be leading the charge for all that is good and right.  I want to see our United States united again under a cause that is truly truly worth our time.  Never in the history of the world has there been a better cause than the battle to save the planet.

My expectations of the Energy Holiday are not that we will able to rid ourselves of combustible fuels in one or two years.  My expectations are also not that everyone that participates in this movement will change their energy habits overnight, or that they’ll sell their gas appliances and air conditioners to go live on a wind farm in Kansas.

What I do hope to achieve is a heightened sense of awareness and empowerment.

My challenge to you: join me and re-learn to survive without energy for one day in a united effort to reduce our energy footprint and preserve the globe for our children.

Register to contribute to this site and join the cause