"Two years ago, America was importing about two thirds of its oil. Today, according to the Energy Information Administration, it imports less than half."
This theory does not appear to be borne out by the figures - the interested reader is invited to consult this week's EIA petroleum balance sheet:
Domestic production is about 10% higher than in 2007, but rows 14, 4 and 1 in the Petroleum Supply table nevertheless suggest that America continues to import roughly two thirds (or maybe it is more like ten twenty-sevenths?) of the oil used.
You need to add in the Natural Gas Liquids (oil that is dissolved in hot natural gas and liquifies on cooling) and other fuels from lines 15-20.
America is burning about 18 million barrels per day (mbpd), down from about 21 mbpd in 2005-2006, and producing about 9 mbpd with conventional oil production declining (even including North Dakota's Bakken) and off-shore and deep off-shore compensating.
America is one of the world's largest producers with Russia and Saudi Arabia also in the 9 mbpd range. Together the top three account for almost a third of world capacity. The next largest producers are significantly smaller. Of course, Russia and Saudi Arabia are exporters.
America's per capita usage and per dollar of income usage is absurdly high compared to the rest of the world. If America wants to invest in efficiency, it could be a net exporter again with current technology and a 10-20 year investment in more efficient machines and better quality infrastructure. Unfortunately, American government seems to have chosen to drive head-on at 100mph into a worldwide peak production crisis.
But caused a significantly greater demand for energy to make new cars.
If it was worth it to trade your guzzler for a new car people would do it on their own without incentives. But a new car uses more energy than it saves for many many years. It's only worth it when the old car dies.
I have a hard time believing this. Let's take an environmentally attractive car, like the TDi Jetta. How many barrel-of-oil equivalents would you estimate it takes to produce a car like this, in mass quantity?
About 200 to 300 barrel of oil. Or about 20 - depending on who you ask.
Basically how far down and across the manufacturing chain do you count the energy. Most places use the second number since it's direct energy for that car. I prefer the first since it also includes things like overhead for the sales team, the engineering, building the manufacturing plant and everything else it takes to actually make a car.
Certainly as others have said the major economic downturn has contributed to this. I do wonder what effect energy savings programs from the past few years have helped as well. I'm thinking about things like CFLs, better energy saving appliances, etc. But... what effect do those have on barrels of oil? Perhaps none. I'm not enough of an energy geek to know. :/
Most of the fossil fuel that's burned to produce electricity is natural gas or coal. Natural gas is generally for smaller production more variable production (peak load) and coal for larger base load demands.
This theory does not appear to be borne out by the figures - the interested reader is invited to consult this week's EIA petroleum balance sheet:
http://205.254.135.24/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publication...
Domestic production is about 10% higher than in 2007, but rows 14, 4 and 1 in the Petroleum Supply table nevertheless suggest that America continues to import roughly two thirds (or maybe it is more like ten twenty-sevenths?) of the oil used.