The Grand Energy Transition: The Rise of Energy Gases, Sustainable Life and Growth, and the Next Great Economic Expansion

by Robert A. Hefner III

A groundbreaking book on solving our growing energy problems

In this visionary book, leading energy industry executive Robert Hefner puts forth a convincing case about how the world can move beyond its current dependence on oil and toward a new era of clean, renewable energy.

Written with the knowledge and authority of a major player in this industry, Hefner relates how misguided government policies and vested industry interests have contributed to our current energy problems and proposes a variety of measures that could encourage the use of natural gas, solar, wind, and hydrogen.Convincingly makes the case that natural gas is the essential bridge fuel to a new era of clean, renewable energy sourcesDetails how natural gas can help break our oil and coal dependencyOffers a sweeping, historic picture of the world energy situationPresents a compelling and provocative case that natural gas is key to our short-term energy problems

A well-written and engaging book that mixes personal anecdotes and experiences with insightful analysis, "The" "Grand Energy Transition" is a powerful argument about how we can best solve our toughest energy problems.

270 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2009

Reviews

[Geoffrey Weiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert Hefner III is a natural gas and energy engineer whose book delineates his quest to promote natural gas as a transition fuel--away from coal and oil and toward sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydrogen and fusion. He makes a convincing point of the availability of vast, underground supplies of natural gas and the history of national neglect of this resource in favor of coal and oil. Written in 2008, the book is dated inasmuch as natural gas has become a full member of the energy marketplace. The book is short and also quite redundant; his points about efforts to bring credibility to the natural gas market and his interest in avoidance of the "three intolerables"--uncontrolled global warming, geostrategic and economic crises--are made over and over. Mr. Hefner's arguments are, at some level, convincing of the need for transition to fuels that will allow American to become a leader in the next era of technological advance, and he is quite explicit in outlining the means to accomplish this task.

[El C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was very persuasive in arguing that the abundance and viability of CH4 is one of the great modern-day scandals to persist. Some 3 trillion (with a t) cubic tons of natural gas is on our planet according to Hefner. That is an amazing fact not only about natural gas but the world economy, if true, would mean there is going to be a whole lot more interest in CH4 in the near future.