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Article
Fuels for Future Electric Power
Public Utilities Fortnightly (1976)
  • Oliver S. Yu, San Jose State University
  • A. Manne
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

Disciplines
Publication Date
1976
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 1976 Public Utilities Report. The article was originally published in: Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Citation Information
Oliver S. Yu and A. Manne. "Fuels for Future Electric Power" Public Utilities Fortnightly Vol. 97 Iss. 12 (1976)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/oliver_yu/8/