Why is does the energy industry seem religiously opposed to renewable energy?

Question

It's like we tell them "hey guess what guys this oil stuff is gonna run out sooner than later so we need to start doing something else"

so they say

"ok lets do nuke power!"

Well that's potentially very dangerous, uses vasts amounts of water, and produces waste that we don't know exactly how to dispose of.

then they say

"ok, lets do clean coal!"

Well "clean" coal is still a finite resource, it still pollutes the air, carbon sequestration is still in its experimental phase, and it will entail environmental destruction as we begin to strip mine for coal.

How about a nice solar, wind, and geothermal energy program?

then they say

"Scoff! No way! We're not doing that!"

They don't really have a good reason, other than the fact that they really really like digging up fossils and burning them. And if they can't dig up fossils then they have to be digging up some radioactive rock somewhere.

Isn't renewable the most common sense choice?

What gives?

Answer 1

solar, wind and geothermal energy is inneficient and not the area of expertise of oil companies. They can convert coal to oil via coal liquification. There's a large amount of oil left, especially in the US. There job isnt to get away from oil, its what they currently do that they are great at. Other companies are gonna do the other stuff, problem is they arnt large enough to actually move the technology along fast enough. Oil will be the predominant transportation fuel for the next 15-20yrs+ and coal/nuclear which we have PLENTY of will be used for general electricity for decades more.

Answer 2

They're idiots. That's why. It would make more sense to use the renewable recourses. Because they are just that. Renewable! We have an endless supply of it, but no! People are more comfortable doing nothing. The large companies could at least begin to incorporate renewable recourse's into 'the norm'. There is still oil in America, yes, but most of that is in Alaska, whose environment has been previously untouched. Should we really ruin that?

Answer 3

I agree with what everyone else has said for the most part, but would like to add that renewable energies are hard to keep centralized and in the hands of only a few people.

Anyone can put up a wind turbine or solar panel, technically, but you have to be a special kind of someone to build and own a coal power plant or oil refinery.

Answer 4

The energy companies don't like the renewable options out there because very little of the patents for the tech used in them are owned by the energy companies. This means that a large majority of the profits that would come from the using of things like wind powered turbines and tidal turbines would not go into the pockets of the energy companies.

You have to understand that if there is little projected profit for the cooperation they will go to the mattresses to fight against it. I point to the example of the electric car the EV1 from GM motors that was introduced and killed in the mid 90's. the oil companies led the campaign to get it off the market.

Answer 5

The "good ol' boys" are afraid their profit margin will be reduced.  Now if they had taken the lead in development (some have I think) ....

Answer 6

they consider things like that 'disruptive innovation', which they are, but the old companies see that as a bad thing, they are too inflexible to use the alternative ideas so they just try to suppress them.

wow very good point joe.

Answer 7

Renwable energies ARE part of the energy industry.

It is its fastest growing and most innovative sectors.

Other conventional sectors are extremely conservative, lack of a long term view. They nevertheless enjoy a good situation, not linked to their work but rather to the international uncertainties (supply and demand, geostrategy, etc...).

Renewables is definitely the wise choice for the future.

Some day, the coal and oil industry will have almost disappeard (roughly in less than a century).

REASONS WHY THE ESTABLISHED CONVENTIONAL ENERGY INDUSTRY IS AS IT IS:

- lack of long term views

- lack of creativity

- conservatism (in investments and technology)

- comfortable situation

- bureaucracy (which makes them fail to see the other competencies they could have)