Another Future Transporation Fuel

Sam Fletcher’s Journally Speaking column in the Oil & Gas Journal of 9/6/2010 on Fat weighs on fuel efficiency, reminded me that perhaps the current Future Transportation Fuels study underway at the National Petroleum Council (NPC) should be expanded.

When Will They Ever Learn?

It is not my purpose to discuss the most recent environmental disaster and the tragic loss of life experienced by the energy industry, but rather to comment on the long standing issue of “The Image Thing” that I discussed in September of 2009 on this blog.

It's the Image Thing

I want to discuss what I perceive to be a credibility issue in any effort to develop this energy literate public. The Image Thing impacts not only any effort to establish green or clean street-creds, but also to convey unbiased, factual information about conventional energy.

Price Uncertainty

In the 3/15/10 Journally Speaking column “Oil market uncertainty” by Marilyn Radler, the issue of the frustration over the lack of precision in price forecasts was raised yet once again. This has been a cry from the industry ever since the first forecast was attempted.

1/5

In my first report, Confessions of an Energy Price Forecaster – A 12-Step Program to Enlightenment, I offered many points about energy that I was pondering. Now, in spite of feedback from many readers to those points I have to conclude that I am really no smarter and, with all due respect to those readers, neither are they.

Therefore, I soldier on and offer a few timely ponderings through the PennEnergy Perspectives eNewsletter for your consideration. These issues are included in my new reports as I try to analyze the price of energy and the interrelationships of price, policy and politics.

Accountability in Energy Price Forecasting: What a Novel Idea (a probabilistic analysis of price including the impact of policy)
Points to Ponder about Energy Policy and Politics (a discussion of the governmental impact and the price environment the drivers such action)

Your continued feedback and suggestions for further points that need pondering are appreciated.

As a side note my Energy Literacy Project is trying to find ways to take these issues beyond the energy industry and bring them to the public.

An informed democracy will act responsibly.

Thomas Jefferson

Society’s best hope for well-reasoned, stable and sustainable energy policy must be built on a foundation of an informed public. Your subscription to these reports will help underwrite our efforts to develop effective and credible ways leading to an informed, energy literate public.

John Tobin has been the Executive Director of the Energy LITERACY Project, Inc. and has been a Distinguished Lecturer for the International Society of Petroleum Engineers. His 45 years of experience includes positions with ARCO, Scientific Software Corp., Martin Marietta and Eastman Kodak. He has BS (1964) and MS (1966) degrees from the University of Rochester in Mechanical and Aerospace Sciences.

Click here for John Tobin's full bio

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