Alternative fuel

Alternative fuel is any method of powering an engine that do not involve petroleum (oil). Some alternative fuels are electricity, hithane, hydrogen, natural gas, and wood. The need for the development of Alternative fuel sources, has been growing because of concerns that the reserves of oil are finite and will one day run out completly. See Oil depletion. The relative difficulty in obtaining oil which is a major cause of conflict, especialy in areas like the Middle East, has caused the price of oil to slowly rise. See Oil_price_increases_of_2004_and_2005. Growing concerns about the effects of polution from car exhausts and the Greenhouse effect have increased interest in Alternative Fuels, as well. See Future energy development for a general discussion.

Renewable energy

Main article: Renewable energy

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Another possible solution to a potential future energy shortage would be to use some of the world's remaining fossil fuel reserves as an investment in renewable energy infrastructure such as wind power, solar power, tidal power, geothermal power, hydropower, thermal depolymerization, ethanol and biodiesel, which do not suffer from finite energy reserves, but do have a finite energy flow. The construction of sufficiently large renewable energy infrastructure might avoid the economic consequences of an extended period of decline in fossil fuel energy supply per capita.

Related Topics:
Renewable energy - Wind power - Solar power - Tidal power - Geothermal power - Hydropower - Thermal depolymerization - Ethanol - Biodiesel

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Biodiesel has some potential advantages because it could replace petroleum diesel without engine modification, and could reuse existing fuel distribution infrastructure. Hydroelectric power currently produces electricity more cheaply than natural-gas turbines; as a result, nearly every river in North America that can be dammed has been. Gigantic hydropower projects have recently been built all around the world (see Itaipu and Three Gorges Dam). Another promising renewable energy source may be wind power (currently over four times as efficient as solar PV power systems). Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plants are economic in arid and semiarid regions today. This is particularly true if these solar power plants are designed to take full advantage of the combined heat and power potential outputs. These solar facilities can produce not only electricity, but also steam, hot water, chilled water, and ice using absorption refrigeration cycle equipment. Thermal depolymerization, like biodiesel, has significant current interest and investment because of the potential to replace or gradually replace oil based transportation fuels.

Related Topics:
Itaipu - Three Gorges Dam - Solar PV - Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plants - Thermal depolymerization

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One factor potentially in renewable energy's favor is its much smaller environmental impact. Renewable energy sources may have a significantly smaller total "cost" compared to fossil fuel production after factoring in pollution - in other words, oil production is likely more expensive (compared to renewable energy) than the initial price seems to indicate, if you factor in the cost of pollution on our public health programs.

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