Federal synthetic-fuels program: a review

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5731232

Roach, R; Matheson, J

The status of the synthetic fuels projects and Synthetic Fuels Corporation (SFC) was reviewed. Results reveal that the program is falling far short of the lofty goals envisioned by the authors of the Energy Security Act. The authors conclude that it would be unwise to commit a significant portion of the nation's energy budget to the rapid commercialization of immature and uneconomic technologies. A more appropriate strategy would be to establish and development a program which requires cost-sharing on the part of the private sector and provides for the collection of data on technical performance, environmental impacts, and economic feasibility. Discussion is presented under the headings: ignoring the market and technological realities of an immature industry; the subsidization of high-cost energy alternatives; the SFC - indiscriminate promoter of synfuels; SFC subsidies; SFC's environmental program; energy security - the great myth of synthetic fuels; and the SFC - a source of lavish salaries and benefits. (DMC)

• Research Organization: Environmental Policy Inst., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5731232
• Report Number(s): NP-4900014; ON: DE84900014
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
294001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Coal
294004 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Oil Shales & Tar Sands
295000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Hydrogen & Synthetic Fuels
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
EVALUATION
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
INDUSTRY
NORTH AMERICA
RECOMMENDATIONS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SUBSIDIES
SYNTHETIC FUELS CORPORATION
SYNTHETIC FUELS INDUSTRY
USA