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Breaking Energy: Study: Is Energy Independence Really Possible in the US?

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Breaking Energy

This question has been dissected in many ways by analysts, politicians, business leaders and countless other stakeholders, with numerous conclusions drawn. Clearly the term “energy independence” can be defined many ways. In terms of power generation, the country already is energy independent. But US petroleum import volumes usually lie at the heart of this question and present a much more stubborn challenge to those who want to see the country self-sufficient in that regard.

Fuel Freedom Staff

Fuel Freedom Foundation Appoints Ilana Meirovitch as Chief Operations Officer

Source: Market Wired
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Ilana Meirovitch Joins Fuel Freedom Foundation’s National Effort to Give Americans Choice at the Pump

Fuel Freedom Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to reduce the cost of driving your existing car or truck by opening the market to cheaper fuel choices at the pump, has announced that Ilana Meirovitch will be its new Chief Operating Officer.

Meirovitch comes to Fuel Freedom with over 20 years of operational leadership experience with Deloitte, one of the world’s leading consulting organizations. Her experience at Deloitte spanned all disciplines of the organization and her high-level strategic operational experience, combined with her down-to-earth practical business skills, will help drive the foundation toward its goal of creating open competition in the transportation fuel market.

“Ilana’s exceptional experience, great character and enormous enthusiasm for our mission will be instrumental in our efforts to promote the development of cheaper, cleaner, American-made fuels,” said Joseph Cannon, CEO of Fuel Freedom Foundation. “Her reputation for executing complex projects and delivering sustainable results, while gaining alignment among multiple stakeholders, will be an asset to the Fuel Freedom Foundation.”

Fuel Freedom Foundation is working to open the fuel market to competition by providing choice at the pump. Achieving fuel freedom means accelerated economic growth, greater energy security, reduced air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved health for Americans. The introduction of replacement fuels will provide a big financial break for people, without increased government spending.

Meirovitch began her career as a tax advisor in the Orange County practice at Deloitte and, over the years, supported firm leadership in various national roles such as Chief of Staff to the regional managing partner, Director of Finance and ultimately the National Director of Operations in the firm’s US Talent (HR) organization. While there, she led teams both in the U.S. and India, overseeing the organization’s budget, business processes, technology solutions and the development of its off-shoring activities. Meirovitch has an MBA degree from the University of California in Los Angeles.

“Creating choice at the pump will usher in an era of economic growth fueled by innovation in the transportation sector, areas that are very near and dear to me,” said Meirovitch. “By removing barriers to competition, we can see ethanol, methanol, natural gas, electricity and gasoline compete on equal footing at the pump. I am excited to be a part of the movement to help Americans choose cheaper, cleaner and American made fuels.”

About Fuel Freedom: The Fuel Freedom Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking our oil addiction by enabling the transportation fuels market to open so our cars and trucks can run on cheaper, cleaner, healthier American replacement fuels. The Fuel Freedom campaign aims to remove barriers to competition so that natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity can compete on equal footing with gasoline at the pump and at the dealership. Achieving Fuel Freedom will lower fuel prices, create jobs, spur economic growth, reduce pollution, and improve national and global security. For more information visit us at www.fuelfreedom.org.

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The Dennis Prager Show: Breaking Our Oil Addiction With Fuel Freedom

Source: The Dennis Prager Show
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Radio host Dennis Prager speaks to Fuel Freedom Foundation cofounder, Yossie Hollander, about how the organization is planning to end America’s addiction to oil by opening the fuel market to American-made replacement fuels that are cheaper and cleaner. Hollander discusses the alternative fuels, the current regulatory environment and dispels some common myth surrounding the price of oil.

 

Fuel Freedom Staff

We should use abundant U.S. resources to fuel our vehicles

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Brazil is oil independent, indeed, is an oil exporter, because its consumers have a choice of fuels at the pump. Most of the cars in the country, and nearly all in urban areas, can run on anything from a 20 percent/80 percent ethanol/gasoline blend up to 100 percent ethanol. And consumers decide which blend to use at the pump. When sugar prices are high, the consumer can choose more gasoline and vice versa. To accommodate the blended fuel mandate, every major automaker builds cars for Brazil that are flex-fuel vehicles. Consequently, about half of the fuel consumed in Brazil is ethanol.

China, on the other hand, faced with a similar dependence on imported oil, increased air pollution and a vertiginous increase in demand, is turning to methanol. Methanol can be cheaply made from natural gas, biomass (including garbage) and coal. Reports say that a number of provinces and municipalities in China already use a 15 percent blend of methanol and gasoline. In the U. S., methanol prices range from $1.15 to $1.38 per gallon. Even with less energy per gallon than gasoline, methanol is much cheaper on a miles per dollar basis than gasoline. Methanol is also cleaner from a carbon and conventional pollutant standpoint and does not contain benzene, toluene or xylene, additives to gasoline, which the EPA has identified as toxic.

The U.S. has abundant supplies of natural gas, corn and cellulosic products, and can credibly be called the Saudi Arabia of garbage. Following Brazil’s and China’s examples, we could replace most, if not all, imported oil with cheaper, cleaner American-made fuels.

Fuel Freedom Staff

We’re not as energy independent as we’d like to think

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The New York Times’ lead story today offers are lengthy and useful examination of the debate between more drilling, and more conservation and efficiency, in what the newspaper sees as signs of progress toward “energy independence”. Both drilling and efficiency are helpful, but unfortunately insufficient, to achieve this goal. Despite increased domestic oil production and a slowdown in U.S. demand, prices continue to rise, with gasoline now approaching $5 a gallon in some parts of the U.S. This is because oil demand in China, India and elsewhere in the developing world continues to ramp up as these nations rapidly urbanize.

As global demand outstrips supply, the commensurate price increases have substantial impact on those who require gasoline for transportation. Higher oil prices also increase costs of agriculture and food production, raising grocery bills. And the burden falls disproportionately on lower-income families, not just in the U.S., but around the world.

Oil is an internationally priced commodity so more U.S. drilling cannot meaningfully bring down the price. Given the growth in global demand, higher-cost U.S. domestic production will pressure global prices upward, further enriching the much lower-cost OPEC oil producers.

Even in the best case noted in The Times, we may only get to 10 million-barrels-a-day production by 2020, compared to current use of nearly 19 mmbd. The difference between the most optimistic estimates of domestic production and our actual oil consumption leaves us woefully dependent on foreign oil and with it the price swings that devastate our national economy and personal budgets.

In fact, virtually every recession since World War II has been preceded by a spike in oil prices, with devastating consequences.

What we need is a diversity of cheaper, cleaner, American-made and unsubsidized fuels to compete with gasoline at the pump. Viable options include natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity.