Live data from Hacker News

Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

bloomberg.com

31–40 of 132 posts

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#31
post #7

I'm hopeful that America can further lessen our dependence on Saudi Arabia as much as possible through this. Alas, the alliance is based around a lot more than just oil, and the Saudi vision is to shift away from oil reliance, but I'll gladly take a chink in the armor. > "Global oil demand has so far absorbed the extra U.S. crude barrels, limiting the impact on prices" This slightly curbs my optimism.

This isn't feasible. The refineries in the US are not designed for the same oil produced by the Permian basin (the Permian is producing light crude, US refineries are configured for medium to heavy crude). More importantly, oil is fungible on the world market; you can't effectively dictate "Oil produced in America is consumed in America" without drastically regulating the energy market with public policy (not going t…

Did your desire to use the word fungible outweigh the fact that the US has drastically reduced its dependence already?

Anyway, you're right that decreasing oil demand will lessen dependency on foreign oil. You're wrong that our current approach "isn't feasible". Our oil imports from Saudi and worldwide are falling. See: https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epc0_im0...

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#32
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

I'm curious whether they see some kind of writing on the wall and realize that while they embrace renewable energy and lead the nation in Wind Power they also need to pump hard so this vast resource of oil (1 trillion barrels) is not left stranded when/if the day ever comes where oil is not required (in vast quantity).

They are incredibly smart business people and a State Gov that is incredibly business friendly, which has made Texas an energy powerhouse from renewable energy, oil, natural gas, refining capabilities and the infrastructure to move it all to market.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't feasible. The refineries in the US are not designed for the same oil produced by the Permian basin (the Permian is producing light crude, US refineries are configured for medium to heavy crude). More importantly, oil is fungible on the world market; you can't effectively dictate "Oil produced in America is consumed in America" without drastically regulating the energy market with public policy (not going t…

Did your desire to use the word fungible outweigh the fact that the US has drastically reduced its dependence already? Anyway, you're right that decreasing oil demand will lessen dependency on foreign oil. You're wrong that our current approach "isn't feasible". Our oil imports from Saudi and worldwide are falling. See: https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epc0_im0...

> Did your desire to use the word fungible outweigh the fact that the US has drastically reduced its dependence already?

No, facts are facts. Your own citation shows the US is still importing 3 million/barrels a day from OPEC (~33% of US daily consumption), and has held somewhat constant at that level since 2013. The price of oil would rise if those 3 million/barrels a day weren't on the world market, or if the US was required to source those barrels elsewhere.

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6

Not a lot of electrical generation sources in the US run by authoritarian governments compared to oil producers. If it's not Saudi Arabia, it'll be another government attempting to control energy supplies. Can't control a country's electrical generation so easily, and therefore it makes the most sense to incentivize the rapid electrification of transportation.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#34
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

You should know that oil is hardly used for elec. gen in developed countries. They are only indirect competitors - through the automobile.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#35
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

> Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. There isn't really anything contradictory about that. Oil has a vastly different set of use-cases than wind energy. There are no electric alternatives for most long distance transportation, which is a huge chunk of our energy consumption. Gaining independence from OPEC by supporting local oil extraction while…

Natural gas is an alternative to oil for long distance transportation, although both are still fossil fuels. Progress is being made on algae biofuels. If electricity gets cheap enough it can be used to make synthetic hydrocarbon liquid fuels.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depending on where you get the electricity to charge your Tesla it could be worse than oil. But seeing as Norway gets almost all of it's electricity from renewable energy that's not the case there.

There is no electrical generation source that is worse than oil, for any electric car. Only 12-30% [1] (EDIT: replaced 1% after correction from nradov) of energy makes it to the wheels when burning petroleum to propel a vehicle forward. Your electric car will get cleaner over time (90-95% of new generation coming online each year are renewables), your petrol vehicle will burn petrol forever. [1] https://www.fuelecono…

You're way off. Modern cars turn about 30% of the energy in gasoline into forward motion. However, electric cars do have a lower carbon impact in almost all cases.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#37
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

> Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. There isn't really anything contradictory about that. Oil has a vastly different set of use-cases than wind energy. There are no electric alternatives for most long distance transportation, which is a huge chunk of our energy consumption. Gaining independence from OPEC by supporting local oil extraction while…

>There are no electric alternatives for most long distance transportation, which is a huge chunk of our energy consumption.

What about trains?

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#38
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

Isn't that what Norway has been doing for years?

Yes, but mostly hydro for power generation.

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. There isn't really anything contradictory about that. Oil has a vastly different set of use-cases than wind energy. There are no electric alternatives for most long distance transportation, which is a huge chunk of our energy consumption. Gaining independence from OPEC by supporting local oil extraction while…

>There are no electric alternatives for most long distance transportation, which is a huge chunk of our energy consumption. What about trains?

Trains don't get you and your overseas goods across oceans (yet).

Re: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare

#40
post #5

Texas is in a funny place. They are pumping oil like crazy, but they are building wind like crazy as well. Look at the City of Austin and the amount of renewables year over year: https://data.austintexas.gov/Utilities-and-City-Services/Gen... You can see a real-time chart of energy mix here: https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-powe... Most days renewables are 50% of electricity consumes. I pay a b…

You should know that oil is hardly used for elec. gen in developed countries. They are only indirect competitors - through the automobile.

I do know that. I'm commenting on the fact that Texas is investing in renewables while at the same time investing nonrenewables at the same time.
Post reply on HN