A123Systems Announces Plan to Build U.S.-based Lithium Ion Battery Mass Production Facilities
Watertown, MA (A123Systems Press Release) – A123Systems today announced it has submitted an application under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program to qualify for $1.84 billion in direct loans to support the construction of new world-class lithium ion battery manufacturing facilities in the United States, with the first construction location in southeast Michigan.
If A123’s application is approved, this program would enable the company to dramatically expand production capacity in the United States, with full production volumes designed to supply battery systems for five million hybrid vehicles or half a million plug-in electric vehicles per year by 2013.
George Monbiot discusses Nigeria gas flaring and related topics with CEO of Shell
Environmentalist George Monbiot recently interviewed Jeroen van de Veer, CEO of Shell, on ethics, greenwash advertising, renewable energy investments and gas-flaring in Nigeria.
Natural gas is a by-product of oil extraction, but Nigeria doesn’t have the pipeline infrastructure to sell natural gas, so the crude oil is extracted and sold, while the gas is flared. Many oil workers are kidnapped every year in the Niger Delta, so safety is obviously one of the problems facing development of pipelines. However, it would have been interesting had Mr. Monbiot asked the CEO to explain the problems more clearly. Why does gas continues to flare across the Delta in 2008, and what are Shell’s plans for future development in the region?
Nigeria produces over 2 million barrels of oil per day (United States is a major importer). That’s 100 million dollars of oil every day (selling at $50 per barrel), yet Nigeria ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. 70 percent of the country’s population lives on $1 a day or less, and life expectancy is 47 years.
According to this NY Times article, oil companies typically keep 7 percent of the profits from oil sales, and the government gets 93 percent. So what does the Nigerian government do with the oil field royalties and leasing fees collected from developers like Shell? Are there any plans to build pipelines to pump the gas to areas where it can be used for efficient cooking and electric power production?
It would have been interesting too had Mr. Monbiot asked the CEO what kind of role Shell plays in dealing with the corrupt government of Nigeria and whether Shell sees itself as a sustainable business in the region.
The oil industry has a legacy of environmental destruction in the Delta region, causing unrest amongst fishermen and communities. But Nigeria still has a lot of oil to sell (and presumably a lot of natural gas as well to either flare, or distribute to African communities in need, via gas pipeline or electric power grid). There are 36 billion barrels of proved oil reserves in Nigeria. Compare that to 22 billion barrels in the U.S., 80 billion barrels in Venezuela, 12 billion barrels in Mexico, or 179 billion barrels in Canada.
More on Nigeria’s oil industry:
NY Times: Growing Unrest Posing a Threat to Nigerian Oil
NPR: Gas Flaring Disrupts Life in Oil-Producing Niger Delta
How Energy Is Used in Commercial Buildings
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) conducts the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) every four years. The CBECS looks at the energy consumed by different types of commercial buildings in the United States. EIA will release the 2007 CBECS in mid-2009. Here’s an overview (Figure 1 & 2) of the 2003 CBECS, which was based on a sample size of 5,215 buildings, representative of a total population of 4.9 million commercial buildings and 71.6 billion square feet of floor space in the U.S.
Figure 1. Electricity accounts for more than half of energy consumed by commercial buildings.
Figure 2. More than half of energy consumed in commercial buildings is used for space heating and lighting.
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EIA: Retail Prices
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