Lower your natural gas tariff
Most natural gas customers in the U.S. have the ability to lower their commodity price at any time. There are usually two or three competitors in any given territory, and you can call each of them to get the lowest possible commodity supply tariff at any time, and as often as you wish in some territories. Each supplier will quote you a new tariff (for example $10 or $11 per thousand cubic feet gas) that you may keep for up to 12 months or some specified time frame. If you sign up for a lower tariff with an alternative supplier, your local gas utility monopoly will continue billing you, but your next bill will reflect the lower commodity tariff.
Bolivia may become the Saudi Arabia of lithium
The 12-volt lead-acid battery used in traditional automotive applications has given way to higher energy density batteries as the automobile industry moves toward further electrification. The advent of hybrid electric vehicles in the past decade gave way to mass production of nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries in automobiles, which have twice the energy density of lead-acid batteries. Now the demand for long range electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the coming decade is giving way to mass production of lithium-ion batteries in automobiles with twice the energy density of Ni-MH batteries. The lithium ion battery offers 100-150 Watt hours per kilogram, Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) offers 65-70 Wh/kg, and lead-acid offers 30-40 Wh/kg.
NY Times reports that almost half of the world’s lithium, the mineral needed to power plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles, is found in Bolivia. Read more
Who are the major players holding and producing the world’s oil?
According to an “EIA in Brief“, government controlled companies, or “nationalized” companies, control most of current production (52% in 2007) and proven reserves (88% in 2007). That is, 88% of the world’s oil is controlled by nationalized companies like Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia), Pemex (Mexico), and PDVSA (Venezuela), which use money from their oil exports to support domestic government programs and discount prices for domestic customers. U.S. oil resources are not nationalized. U.S. oil resources are controlled by Chevron, Exxon, Shell, and other international oil companies that control about 12% oil the world’s proven oil reserves.
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EIA: Retail Prices
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