Book reviews

In the rural areas, firewood, cow A considerable amount of gas is now concerning the long lead times, large dung and vegetable wastes form the flared instead of used; a committee is capital investments and reorientation of basis for household consumption, ie being set up to suggest remedial industrial processes required to non-commercial fuels. Thus, a large sec- measures. Bombay High gas will largely introduce a major new energy source tor is shielded from the effects of rising be used for the petrochemical complex- are well known, and partially oil prices although kerosene is used as a es in Western India. There are also documented in this book. Yet the lighting medium, possibilities of obtaining natural gas overriding conclusion from John

Turning to energy consumption from Pakistan with the normalisation of Hagel's study is that all energy policy patterns, that of coal rose by 3.5% an- relations, questions hang on the price and nually between 1953 and 1970. In the The government has announced that availability of crude oil. This myopia is same period the consumption ofoi l rose coal will be the principal energy source, all the more suprising since the author by 8.6% per annum, following the But it is exactly this industry which has has clearly understood many of the pattern of Western countries and for the the greatest problems. Unless there is complex issues involved in the non-oil same reason, ie, the availability of a better marketing, more R and D, and energy fields and has reviewed the cheap 'underpriced' energy source from more coordination with the railways for present R & D in these areas in a lucid abroad. However, the middle distillates wagon supplies, coal is going to cause and penetrating way. It is tempting to account for 50% of Indian demand for continuous anxiety which will affect the suggest that the emphasis on oil arises petroleum products contrary to the ex- power situation at the thermal plants, as a result of the author's close perience of developed countries owing Rural energy will be based largely on involvement with Mobil Oil, or perhaps to use of kerosene for domestic pur- the now proliferating ~bio-gas' plants because the original study was prepared poses and diesel oil for transportation, where optimum plant sizes are small, for the Petroleum Informat ion

Henderson presents a lucid survey of Already, over a 1000 units are in opera- Foundation. These explanations are the structure and problems of the tion and a concerted plan to reduce unsatisfactory since the author displays energy industries. Coal is now capital costs and utilise cow dung to the a high level of critical ability which nationalised but beset with problems maximum is in force. What has not would be inconsistent with such obvious like pegged prices, rising labour costs, received adequate attention is the fact pressures. uneconomic and antiquated mines and that firewood supplies may become Alternative Energy Strategies is wasteful cross-hauls between regions, scarce with deforestation for industry really two books rolled into one. The The oil industry has also largely been which will mean pressure on alternative first, and by far the best, is a taken over by the government and the sources, comprehensive and critical survey of Oil and Natural Gas Commission is While Henderson's tapestry is energy production technologies with responsible for exploratory activities, perhaps slightly pessimistic, the particular emphasis on current research both onshore and offshore. It has reviewer's canvas carries an optimistic and development. If the author has entered into several collaboration hue. This, however, does not detract actually read all the books and papers agreements, one with the Iranian from the extremely readable quality of that he cites then he must have a very government for gulf exploration where the book and the wealth of information high reading speed as well as a fluent two fields have been discovered. The compressed into a compact framework, writing style. As far as can be seen this Electricity Boards are mainly in the red review is as objective as is possible from but in 1975-76 more rational pricing S. Venu published material and contains some rules have been evolved with upward very useful observations on ERDA's

price hikes in all regions. However, as ALTERNATIVE ENERGY pol icy s t a t ements . Those who

Henderson stresses, t ransmission STRATEGIES: Constraints and campaigned against the dual r61e of the networks are still in the doldrums, old AEC must be heartened to see the

On the crude oil front, although Opportunities new interest in solar and the increased Henderson's statement of a severe strain scepticism associated with FBR on the balance of payments as a result by J o h n Hagel , III, P raege r technology. This first part of the book of the price rise was true up to 1975, the Publications, New York, 1 85 pp ends with a very brief chapter on the position at the moment of writing is potential for saving energy. Here the

somewhat different. The Bombay High E N E R G Y P O L I C I E S O F T H E author has not picked up many of the is expected to produce 2 million tons by W O R L D , V o l u m e 1 US publications outlining conservation end 1976: by 1980 10 million tons per strategies and has probably been overly annum should be feasible, one of the influenced by the critique of the Ford quickest rates ever of exploitation of a Edited by Gerard J. Mangone, Elsevier Foundation Study.

strike - 1974 to 1976, a gap of only 2 New York, 388 + xx pp, $1 9 . 5 0 The second part of the book aims to

years. In fact, with burgeoning exports, document the "constraints and India may have a surplus balance of Whilst there is little doubt that present opportuni t ies ' in energy policy payments in '76-'77! The ratio of crude world energy prospects are dominated formation, and goes downhill all the imports to refinery throughput is likely by the price and availability of crude oil way. The time-scale of the discussion to be nearer 65 than the figure of 70% there is considerable doubt as to flips from the long term considerations quoted. Oil may be struck in the whether this is the major determinant of associated with energy R & D, to the Sunderbans area of Bengal. long-term energy policy. The arguments short-term problem of how to cope with

ENERGY POLICY March 1977 81

Book reviews

a disruption in oil supplies tomorrow. Policies of the Worm is quite different, ambassador to the USA and is clearly This is evident by the three 'scenarios' This book has been written, for the most authoritative. If anyone does not yet chosen for detailed discussion. They are part, by insiders, people with first hand know the story of how British and only different in the assumptions made knowledge of the factors and arguments American oil companies exploited, about the price and availability of crude that have led to the formulation of bullied and blackmailed Iran they oil. Scenario 1 assumes continuing high particular energy policies. Throughout should make a point of reading this price and ample supplies, the second the book there are glimpses of how chapter carefully. They may also includes a restriction on oil supplies and fairly distant social or political factors contemplate why the Shah of Iran is so the third a successful OPEC embargo can have very strong influences on keen to build nuclear power stationsin a on oil shipments to the USA. Now energy policy. It is for these glimpses country so well endowed with hydro whilst it is probably true that such that this book is important for all would electric and fossil-fuel resources. options are of great concern to Mobil be students, reporters or participators in The section on Canadian energy Oil, and indeed to the day-to-day energy policy, policy has been written by an ex-civil running of the US government, these are The book describes, in some detail, s e rvan t and, fair ly typ ica l ly , hardly the reasons why E R D A invests the energy policies of seven nations; concentrates on the complexities of money in fast breeder reactors, solar Canada, China, Venezuela, lran and the formulating and effecting a coherent energy or laser fusion devices. If the Arab States. All these countries are energy policy in a modern bureaucratic author's main concern was with the energy exporters and, with the obvious government structure. Although the problems of short term (ie the next exception of Canada, developing detailed structures would obviously be decade) energy problems, why did he 'nations. If anyone comes to this book different one cannot help feeling that it spend so long thoroughly reviewing a full of the problems of the developed is precisely this sort of complexity that dozen or so technologies that could only nation and energy shortages they will be prevents the formulation of any UK make any impact on a fifty year struck by the massive energy surpluses energy policy. timescale? Perhaps this was once two described. For example Iran and The description of the energy policies books, had it been published as such I Venezuela are known as oil exporters, of both Venezuela and the Arab States have no doubt as to which I would have but they also have natural gas flowing are straightforward expositions with purchased. (It wouldn't have been the out of their ears and massive hydro- very clear statements of the policy one with the 'scenarios' in it if only electric potentials. In the case of objectives. It is instructive to compare because they are not scenarios in any Venezuela there are also large deposits these stated objectives of leading sense of that much abused word.) of oil shale, uranium and thorium plus members of OPEC with the speculation

All in all a strange mixture of astute hot springs, oodles of wind, sunshine, reported in the media. It is very difficult perception and sudden myopia. I must waves and tides. With such massive to see any way for the cartel to break say I was pleased to see an American resources the nature of energy policy up, even given more serious differences confused by the confusion of US habits changes from one concerned with than those already existing. As quoted concerning the abbreviation 'M'. It's energy supplies to one concerned with in the section on the Arab S ta tes 'OPEC also amusing to read of the '15,200 extracting the maximum economic and has not been explicitly concerned with milliwatts' of nuclear capacity installed political benefit from the surpluses, the distribution of gains between in Western Europe and of a '1220 The most disappointing essay in the members ... The wisdom is to accept milliwatt' standardised design for book is that concerned with China, that significant gains, unequally BWRs. Maybe just another example of mainland China that is. The essay is distributed, are better than no gains at wishful thinking by an oilman? largely concerned with trying to all ... It is founded on the belief that all

From the many books written on establish which of the rumours members ... would be worse offwithovt energy policy it is now fairly easy to emanating from Taiwan or Tokyo are OPEC. This belief is both rational and find one that advocates more solar or most likely to be correct. Although the deeply felt.' more nuclear or more coal, or even one author is clearly well versed in Chinese All in all this book is excellent value that advocates less use of all these affairs he has neither knowledge of for money and one of the most energy sources. Although all these Chinese energy data nor any informative texts on energy policy yet books will be advocating different information on Chinese energy policy, published. energy policies they are all similar in The book would have been better that they have been written by without this contribution. Peter Chapman 'outsiders' who would like to change or The description of Iranian energy Open University alter some energy policy. Energy policy is written by the Iranian MiltonKeynes, UK

82 ENERGY POLICY March 1977