Y'all can be on the left or the right... The "truth", so far as I can discern always seems to lie in the middle of you both.
But the question that alt-energy has to face is whether the economic costs of R&D, investment, and implementation will exceed the economic benefits over the long-term.
If it cannot compete with $30-40/bbl oil, which is very possible should China go into recession, then alt-energy is a net economic cost that provides little economic benefit over the short to mid-term (2-10 years).
And, of course, folks will say we need to move away from imported oil, and I would fully agree with them. But the most cost-efficient manner would be to transition from oil to domestically produced NG fueled vehicles. But if done properly and with foresight, it could provide the necessary infrastructure shift to usher in an eventual hydrogen/ fuel cell economy (gas storage tanks are gas storage tanks, whether NG or hydrogen).
But, IMO, I'm growing less and less confident in the economic viability of PHEVs, hybrids, and non-fossil fuel technologies in the face of this absolute collapse in commodity prices. It truly harkens of more shoes to drop, probably in Asia where most commodity growth was occurring.
Hawk |
