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Alternative fuels: a sneak preview
I always laugh when I hear folks refer to things as “alternative”. It is often used as a dismissive term. As though the subject matter is of no consequence. Well, guess what folks: alternative is the future. Many people think of things as either alternative or mainstream. Ask anyone to describe “alternative” and they will conjure up images of rebellious placard-carrying students, things that are fringe and odd, while “mainstream” is mom and pop, predictable, status quo.
Take a look around the automobile and petroleum world today and it is apparent that alternative is becoming the future. Oil companies are no longer oil companies; they are “energy companies” investing in “alternative” forms of energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, renewable liquids and hydro, which indicates that the energy landscape of yesterday, meaning oil and coal, will look nothing like the energy mix 50 years on.
Today, I don’t think there is a single automobile manufacturer that is not directly researching and investing in future “alternative” energy systems, and a significant portion of this research is focused on renewable liquid fuel options for ICEs (internal combustion engines). These are primarily biodiesel blends and corn-based (sugar) ethanol (but let’s save the food/fuel debate for another post…) for the production of E85-gasoline with a blend of 85% ethanol. Other alternatives derived from fossil sources include hydrogen, propane and compressed natural gas (CNG).
I believe that comparisons of the alternative energy supplies should primarily consist of two parameters: the energy yield; that is the energy units derived from the fuel, compared to the energy input required to produce it, and the environmental impact from the production and refining of the feedstock/raw material. Beyond these considerations, the infrastructure required to deliver alternatives to the consumer becomes the economic determinant. How, for example, would we deliver hydrogen or CNG across the nation without investing significant resources? Is the RFS (renewable fuel standard) brought into legislation in Canada this year the most appropriate path?
In the short- to mid-term, I believe this to be true so long as the feedstock is given a rigorous review of energy yield and planetary impact. To that end, most of us in the near future will be driving on small percentage blends of ethanol and biodiesel in our vehicles, be they diesel, gasoline or hybrid. And when we are, we should be asking the distribution companies and the government about the impacts beyond the tailpipe. For an in-depth comparative analysis of the alternatives available, check out this Consumer Reports Greener Choice article
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