ENERGY ON THE OCEANS TOPICDEBATING AND UNDERSTANDING ENERGY POLICY

OVERVIEW

• Oil & Natural Gas

• Offshore Wind

• Ocean Energy

• OTEC, Tidal Power, etc.

• Methane Hydrates

• Additional Offshore Energy

OIL AND NATURAL GAS

OIL & NATURAL GAS: SIMILARITIES

• Hydrocarbon: a substance that contains only carbon and hydrogen

• Oil & Natural Gas are often found together in underground reservoirs

• Reservoirs: rock formations that hold oil, natural gas or both within their pores.

OIL BASICS

• What is oil used for?

• Transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, etc.)

• Plastics

• Asphalt

• Fertilizer

• Heat

• Some electricity

• Who produces oil? (Top 5)

• Russia

• Saudi Arabia

• United States

• Iran

• China

OIL ECONOMICS

• Supply: the total amount of a specific good or service that is available to consumers

• Demand: how much (quantity) of a product or service is desired by buyers

OIL GEOPOLITICS

• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

• Members: Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola

OIL ADVANTAGES

• Oil Independence

• Oil Prices

• Economic Growth

NATURAL GAS BASICS

• What is natural gas used for?

• Heating

• Cooking

• Electricity

• Chemical Feedstocks

• Who produces natural gas? (Top 5)

• United States

• Russia

• European Union

• Iran

• Canada

NATURAL GAS MARKETS

NATURAL GAS PRICES

• Prices differ regionally

• Natural gas is exchanged in regional markets

OIL PRICES

• Sold at one price, all over the world

• Exchanged in a global market

NATURAL GAS GEOPOLITICS

• There is no “OPEC” of natural gas

• However, the EU is highly dependent on Russia for natural gas

• Creates foreign policy constraints

NATURAL GAS ADVANTAGES

• Warming

• Natural Gas Exports

• Natural Gas Prices

OIL & NATURAL GAS: NEGATIVE POSITIONS

• Environment DA

• Oil Prices DA

• Natural Gas Prices DA

• Military DA

• Politics DA

• Onshore CP

OFFSHORE WIND

CURRENT STATE OF OFFSHORE WIND

• Widespread development in Europe

• Investment beginning in the United States, but lack of incentives/regulatory certainty

• Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)

OFFSHORE WIND: ADVANTAGES

• Warming

• Economy

• Federalism

OFFSHORE WIND: NEGATIVE POSITIONS

• Case Turn: Wind Increases CO2

• Politics DA

• Budget DA

• Environment DA

• Electricity Prices DA

• Onshore CP

• Free Market CP

MARINE ENERGY

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGwsvuxuK7g

• Works best in areas with large difference in ocean temperatures, such as Hawaii

CURRENT STATE OF OTEC DEVELOPMENT

• Fully operational OTEC plant opened in Japan in 2013

• Technical and cost challenges remain

OTEC: ADVANTAGES

• Warming

• Economy

• Desalination

• Hydrogen Production

• Chill-Soil Agriculture

• Aquaculture

• Mineral Extraction

OTEC: NEGATIVE POSITIONS

• Budget DA

• Politics DA

• Electricity Prices DA

• Environment DA

• Land-Based CP

• EIS CP

WAVE POWER

• Uses waves to generate electricity

• Projects in Portugal and Oregon

• Environmental issues

TIDAL POWER

• Uses the power of the tide to create electricity

• May not be topical, depending on the type of tidal power

• Environmental issues

OCEAN CURRENT POWER

• Uses ocean currents to generate electricity

• Least developed type of ocean energy

METHANE HYDRATES

WHAT ARE METHANE HYDRATES?

• Methane hydrate: a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, forming a solid similar to ice

• Found in sea-floor sediments and arctic permafrost

CURRENT STATE OF METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION

• Test drillings in Canada and Japan

• Becoming cost-effective

• Seen as a potential breakthrough source of energy

METHANE HYDRATES: ADVANTAGES

• Warming

• Economy

• Energy Leadership

• Arctic/Russia

METHANE HYDRATES: NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS

• Warming DA

• Technical/Solvency Issues

ADDITIONAL ENERGY TYPES

FLOATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (FNPP)

• Russia has invested in FNPPs

• New 2014 solvency advocates

• Potential advantages include: Warming, Desalination, Hegemony

• Environment DA

UNDERSEA COAL GASIFICATION

• Coal gasification

• Syngas: fuel gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and natural gas

• Warming Advantage?

• Pollution DA

OFFSHORE SOLAR

• Currently being developed in Japan

• Technology is not very advanced, not a likely affirmative

MARINE ALGAE BIOFUELS

• Algae biofuels are typically freshwater

• Marine algae biofuels are possible but underdeveloped