[nth]

I was given a quote that existing oil refineries that processed sour/heavy crude can get a boost of 7% by applying new technologies. Some older refineries can get an even bigger increase. Chevron is piloting the new technologies.

Will technology like these mean softer landing?

If applied to all oil refineries that use sour/heavy, we probably be getting a 2mbpd in extra production!

[MicroHydro]

That is nice, but we will soon be losing more than 2 million bpd per year in depletion.

[gg3]

This isn't an "either/or," it's an "and/both." No single technology will solve all of our problems. Every technology will help to some degree. Chevron gets points for coming up with something viable, and 7% is nothing to sneeze at.

Though, we still need to start building wind farms and nuclear reactors as quickly as possible, etc.

"Nothing less than *everything* is truly sufficient." -Aldous Huxley.

[nth]

I think currently US uses very little oil to produce eletricity.
I guess US need to find an alternative to heating oil. i think that is easier than finding a replacement for gasoline. Are they looking at heating oil replacement?

[Doly]

The easiest heating oil replacement is gas. Problem is, it's going to peak soon too...

[Starvid]

A good way to heat homes is with centralized district heating. The hot water should preferably come from biofuels, garbage incineration or nuclear power.

If there is no other alternative, direct electrical heating is not to bad, though it is of course insane if the electricity is generated with fossil fuels in the first place.

Heating is not a very grave issue. Transport is.

[nth]

gas needs infrastructure, unless propane tanks.
Propane delivery instead of heating oil delivery.
It will be less energy efficient, but not by much. LPG is better than try to built infrastructure.

Central water heating is just as expensive to install as gas, but more energy efficient cuz a lot of the hot water can be from nuke powerplant discharge or other industrial hot water discharge.

I think people are going to be scared of nuke heated water...thinking it will be radioactive.

I agree transportation is more important. That is why they should stop producing heating oil and just banned it. Produce only diesel and gasoline and other transport fuels.