A Hookie-Mookie Energy Approach

“It’s a one-off hookie-mookie.” –Patsy Stone, a character on the British sit-com Absolutely Fabulous, explaining why she could not sit down in her unique virgin silkworm saliva outfit.

We are always hearing about slick alternative energy solutions in the media.  This past week, we have learned that reject watermelons could be a potential feedstock for ethanol.  Last month the LA Times ran a story on a MicroFueler that can also turn household waste into ethanol—and even deliver a $5000 tax credit to the buyer.

I enjoy reading about these innovative approaches to tackling our energy problems.  Who would not want a truck fueled by discarded melons?  And I love the idea of producing my own ethanol at my home; though I wonder where I would install that 250-gallon tank.  We are living in an exciting time, fueled by the shock and fear of $150-a-barrel oil, and many of us genuinely want to leave the planet in a better place than when we entered it.

My concern over all these hookie-mookie approaches to energy is that while they provide great research projects and discussions, I wonder about their viability in the long term.  Many of these fuels work great for a localized fleet, but there is always the risk of running out of the source that keeps the operation running; and generally, a substitute is lacking.

The difference between this “green” revolution and the Internet revolution of 10-15 years ago is that these energy projects need huge amounts of capital.  The days of running a server in a garage and building the next Amazon.com are over.  Sourcing and distribution are absolutely critical.  I would be tickled to see a fleet of trucks that can collect old beer, food scraps, and yard clippings seamlessly, dumping them in a vat that also processes cardboard and motor oil.  Unfortunately, I think we are several years away from such a reality.

So what do we do in the meantime?  Well, continue the research and innovation; obviously we do not want that to stop.  What I would like to see is more emphasis on a smart grid infrastructure:  we would be harnessing the talent of engineers and scientists who are already in hot spots like Silicon Valley.  Finally, with all the emphasis on automobiles, homes are huge consumers of energy and sources of emissions:  so let us revolutionize building approaches so we can live more sustainably, using less energy and resources.  Thousands of one-off approaches, I’m afraid, spark intellectual curiosity and water-cooler talk, but we need solutions that we can implement on a wide scale.