Robert Rapier |
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My career has been devoted to energy issues. (See my resume for specifics). I have worked on cellulosic ethanol, butanol production, oil refining, natural gas production, and gas-to-liquids (GTL). I grew up in Oklahoma, and received my Master's in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University. My previous job was as the Engineering Director for Accsys Technologies, but I am presently the Chief Technology Officer for Merica International, a bioenergy holding company (more details on that can be found at this interview with earth2tech). |
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Contributions |
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Prices of Various Energy Sources25 Jan, 2010 04:14 pm As we continue to develop biomass as a renewable source of energy, it is important to keep the cost of energy in mind, because this has a very strong influence... | ||
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My Top 10 Energy Related Stories of 200930 Dec, 2009 05:34 pm Here are my choices for the Top 10 energy related stories of 2009. Previously I listed how I voted in Platt's Top 10 poll, but my list is a bit different... | ||
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Biofuel Contenders7 Sep, 2009 02:11 pm On the other hand, there are some renewable fuel options that have either proven themselves as solid contenders, or have not yet demonstrated fatal flaws... | ||
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Biofuels pretenders1 Sep, 2009 12:19 pm Broadly speaking, in the world of next generation biofuels there are contenders, pretenders, and niches. Over the past decade,... | ||
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Britain's Impending Energy Crisis10 Aug, 2009 10:46 am By 2015, Britain's generating capacity could have dropped by a third as ageing coal and nuclear power stations are closed... | ||
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Tariffs in the Climate Bill30 Jun, 2009 11:18 pm A number of people have written to ask why I haven't commented on the climate bill. There are two reasons. First, the House and Senate versions are very... | ||
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It's Always Something16 Jun, 2009 06:38 pm I spend a lot of time thinking about the trade-offs involved with different energy options. Cheap petroleum has enabled numerous people a level of mobility... | ||
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I Never Cease to be Amazed18 May, 2009 05:34 pm Don't get me wrong, butanol is a fine fuel, and I have a special fondness for it. I would like to see it work out. But my observation is that people grossly... | ||
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Natural Gas Gaining Momentum8 Apr, 2009 09:52 am I have said a number of times that I would prefer to take the natural gas we use to make ethanol and just use it directly in compressed natural gas (CNG)... | ||
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The Nuclear Comeback14 Mar, 2009 06:03 pm The natural gas crisis caused by the cutoff of supplies from Russia earlier in the year crystallized for many nations the threat of being overly dependent... | ||
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World Energy Outlook 2008 Released13 Nov, 2008 03:59 pm Yesterday the International Energy Agency (IEA) released their much anticipated (and previously leaked) World Energy Outlook 2008. | ||
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IEA Report Leaked30 Oct, 2008 05:33 pm A much anticipated report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook, has been obtained in draft by Financial Times... | ||
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The Solar Stage is Set6 Oct, 2008 01:41 pm have been pretty disgusted by this whole $700 billion bailout. I felt like we let a lot of people get away with some very bad behavior; behavior that enriched... | ||
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The Benefits of $4 Gas15 Jul, 2008 12:04 pm There was a great article last week in Time. It covers a lot of 'hot button' issues with me, such as suburban sprawl, shorter work weeks,... | ||
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Show Me10 Jul, 2008 10:28 am A kick out of this story from the newest issue of Subsidy Watch: New research from Missouri refutes allegations that ethanol mandates save money... | ||
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Neste Moves Forward with Green Diesel18 Jun, 2008 04:46 pm I have written periodically on 'green diesel', which should not be confused with biodiesel. Neste, Petrobras, and ConocoPhillips (in a venture with Tyson... | ||
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A Mixed Bag of Oil Projections in the MSM9 Jun, 2008 02:28 pm Oil drives so much of the global economy, it's almost impossible to fully imagine the world of $200 oil. No question, the shock will force nations to go... | ||
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Redundant Ethanol Subsidies22 May, 2008 01:04 pm The proposed farm bill just sent to President Bush (and expected to be vetoed) contains several ethanol provisions. One is to cut the corn ethanol subsidy... | ||
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Fuel from Air?17 Apr, 2008 02:22 pm One thing we seem to have in limitless supply is gullibility. | ||
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Understanding EROEI7 Mar, 2008 12:03 pm The concept of energy return on energy invested, or EROEI, is terribly misunderstood. I have heard people argue that EROEI doesn't matter,... | ||
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Storm on the Horizon13 Feb, 2008 07:30 pm Trouble is brewing. Trouble I have been warning about since I started writing this blog. Trouble that was a big factor in me starting to write this blog... | ||
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My Top 10 Energy Stories of 20073 Jan, 2008 11:53 am On his blog, R-Squared Energy Blog, Robert Rapier shares his top 10 energy stories of 2007. | ||
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High Oil Prices = High Biofuel Prices6 Nov, 2007 11:47 am You know that forever I have beaten the drum that high fossil fuel prices would make biofuels more expensive due to their poor EROEI.. | ||
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Reporting from the Wall Street Journal29 Oct, 2007 12:59 pm I just finished reading an article from the Wall Street Journal that left me shaking my head. | ||
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Biodiesel: King of Alternative Fuels10 May, 2007 06:58 pm Biodiesel has a much greater energy content than ethanol, and diesel engines are more efficient than spark ignition engines. The energy return for biodiesel... | ||
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