Energy Resources

Jerry A. McBeath, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, USA.

• AcknowledgmentsHow to Use This BookIntroduction1. Fossil FuelsQ1. Is the United States likely to run out of fossil fuels by 2045?Q2. Has market concentration increased among U.S. oil and gas producers?Q3. Is the United States dependent on Middle Eastern oil?Q4. Did U.S. plans over several administrations to achieve "energy independence" bring about a large increase of shale oil and gas supplies during the 2010s?Q5. Have market conditions that favor natural gas and renewable energy and place coal at a competitive disadvantage been too great for pro-coal politicians and the coal industry to effectively counter?Q6. Are total federal and state subsidies greater for fossil fuels than for the major renewables?Q7. Are electric vehicles (EVs) likely to replace up to 30 percent of the current market share of gas-guzzling transport in the United States by 2045?Q8. Do some experts expect renewables to account for the majority of American energy consumption by 2045?2. Major RenewablesQ9. Is it realistic for the United States to develop an energy system entirely based on renewable power by 2050?Q10. Is it feasible to double the amount of hydropower in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25–50 years)?Q11. Is it feasible to double the amount of nuclear power in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25–50 years)?Q12. Is development of wind and solar power lagging because of an insufficient production of metals (e.g., cobalt, cadmium, lithium, and rare earth elements) used in those technologies?Q13. Are conflicts over public land use on the increase between anti–fossil fuel groups and the (oil/gas/coal) industry?Q14. Are state ballot propositions to limit fossil fuels and renewables becoming more popular?3. AlternativesQ15. Will use of biomass to generate energy significantly increase by 2045?Q16. Will a higher percentage of ethanol in fuel (E15) dominate the transportation energy market by 2025?Q17. Are alternative fuels and gases from renewable sources likely to become more important for heating/electricity generation by 2045?Q18. Will geothermal and tidal/wave power significantly increase in the U.S. energy profile by 2045?4. Energy in ActionQ19. Does the current power grid have sufficient reliability and resilience to meet expected blackouts?Q20. Will the electricity grid of the United States have sufficient capability by 2030 to meet expected needs for power in the next generation?Q21. Is the U.S. power grid sustainable?Q22. Is electricity affordable for most Americans?Q23. Can the U.S. energy grid be protected against environmental and security threats and pressures?Q24. Can the U.S. power grid be adequately protected against risks of electronic disruptions from hackers, terrorist organizations, and hostile nations (e.g., Iran, Russia, China)?5. Legal and Regulatory FrameworksQ25. Has divided control of the executive and legislative branches constrained presidential administrations from making major changes in U.S. energy policy in recent years?Q26. Are partisan political considerations increasingly dictating how federal agencies and departments — including those related to the energy industry — operate and who leads them?Q27. Did the Trump administration politicize scientific research in U.S. energy and environmental policymaking?Q28. Did regulatory reforms proposed by the Trump administration resemble those of any other president in the postwar era?Q29. Have federal departments and regulatory agencies been "captured" by the industries and business interests they are responsible for regulating?Q30. Have federal–state conflicts over energy and environmental policies increased in the last decade?6. Trade-OffsQ31. Has the Clean Air Act and subsequent amendments improved U.S. air quality in the last decade?Q32. Have CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards reduced carbon dioxide emissions?Q33. Do most Americans believe that continued consumption of fossil fuels will increase the severity of climate change?Q34. Have clean water laws and regulations improved U.S. water quality?Q35. Have oil and gas exploration and development reduced critical habitat of endangered species in the United States?Q36. Did environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) file fewer lawsuits against government agencies in the 2010s than the 1970s?Q37. Is the proposed green new deal (GND) a feasible model for environmental improvement in the United States?7. ConclusionsQ38. Has the U.S. energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables been stopped or merely delayed by economic volatility and the Covid-19 global health crisis?Q39. Have the separation of powers (especially the courts' increasing strength) and federalism become major determinants of U.S. energy and environmental outcomes?AbbreviationsIndex