Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1976

Publication Title

Public Utilities Fortnightly

Volume

97

Issue Number

12

First Page

28

Last Page

35

Disciplines

Business

Abstract

OVER THE NEXT FORTY YEARS, THE U.S. WILL EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF DWINDLING SUPPLIES OF FOSSIL FUELS AND AN INCREASING DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE, SUCH AS MORE STRINGENT CONSERVATION MEASURES OR ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY. HOWEVER, NO SINGLE ALTERNATIVE WILL BE SUFFICIENT. A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFICIENT ALLOCATION POSSIBLE OF RESOURCES. THE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF ASSUMED HAPPENINGS IN THE FUTURE RATHER THAN BY PROJECTING HISTORIC TRENDS INTO THE FUTURE. FOR EXAMPLE, AS ONE SOURCE OF ENERGY SUCH AS OIL BECOMES MORE SCARCE, THE COST WILL GO UP, INDUCING A CHANGE TO ANOTHER SOURCE. SYNTHETIC FUELS FROM COAL AND HYDROGEN FROM ELECTROLYSIS WILL BECOME MORE PRACTICAL BY THE END OF THE CENTURY. COAL AND OIL WILL BE USED. HEAVILY THIS CENTURY WITH NUCLEAR FUEL BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT EARLY IN THE NEXT CENTURY. CHARTS

Comments

Copyright © 1976 Public Utilities Report. The article was originally published in: Public Utilities Fortnightly.

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