3 Gurus of Green Ponder Energy’s Future

Executive roundtable: T.J. Rodgers, Vinod Khosla, and Donald Felsinger

By Kirk Shinkle

Posted: July 24, 2008

Todd Rodgers

Todd Rodgers

Rodgers: I'm against a carbon cap. It's government meddling in the market. But if carbon cap-and-trade-happens, which all the major candidates say they support, it means you'll get penalized for putting carbon in the air and credits for either not putting it in the air or taking it out. That's a big win for solar.

Felsinger: We don't have a national energy policy, and that's been the problem. It would be a nice first step: a master plan as to where we want to go as a country.

What about green autos?
Khosla: Hydrogen is way too expensive. Hybrids will enter the premium market. But the highest-volume car in India is going to be the Tata Nano at $2,500. You can't add $10,000 worth of batteries to a $2,500 car. Today, the cheapest source of low-carbon transportation and the easiest to introduce is biofuel.

Felsinger: The options before us—hydrogen, electricity, biofuels, and natural gas—can all make a significant impact. Electricity and natural gas have the most to offer in the shortest time period.

The Environment of my Neck

HDP is concerned about the environment of the necks of HDP and those who HDP will be allied with. Who cares if your energy is in the hands of your enemy if the business environment you promote is one that seeks such strangleholds.

HDP seeks to invest in stranglehold free environments, so you can say your for green energy all you want, but if you are still attempting to put us in a stranglehold then you are just as poisonous as any other regime. Such poisonous ideologies are bad for the environment, and those who would like to create peace, freedom, and prosperity in a vile-free environment should be able to do so. It is only those that are for economic and politicool action yesterday, that HDP seeks to invite into its business and politicool affairs.

K of MO @ Aug 21, 2008 16:01:17 PM

Ethanol now

Ethanol can be used (at least 10%, if not more) in every gasoline driven vehicle on the road NOW. Why not use it to it's fullest potential until other technology is practical and cost effective? The only reason you pay as much for ethanol as you do is because it is blended by the oil companies. They buy it from ethanol marketers for much less, usually a dollar per gallon, blend it with gasoline, pocket the 51 cent ethanol tax credit (given to blenders, not producers), and resell it to you for the same price as their gas.

Also, techology is coming online that can use corn to make food products as well as ethanol during the process.

Stacey of KS @ Jul 30, 2008 16:50:04 PM

Sempra CEO a Guru of Green????

Interesting that Don Felsinger is considered a "Guru of Green"...when in the past, he has refused to acknowledge the fact that global warming is a problem (or that it even exists). He has shown no interest at all in addressing the issue of global warming except what is mandated by law. Someone in his position, working for a company that touts itself as being green, should be going far beyond what the law mandates. Morals, ethics, and science are pointing him and Sempra in the right direction...time will tell whether they can follow directions.

Kevin of CA @ Jul 28, 2008 12:30:03 PM

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