What the future holds for Exxon From Their CEO

[RV_]

This is a long article and includes a lot from EXXOn's CEO. But it is my experience many here don't read articles posted as the source of comments and then they post knee jerk political statements. This is not politics it is economics and investor FYI. Enjoy.

Excerpt:

"We are committed to playing a leading role in greenhouse gas reductions consistent with the goals of the Paris agreement...”

Thus spoke Exxon (XOM) CEO Darren Woods at Exxon’s investor day this week. For most chief executives, supporting the Paris climate agreement at this point is a no-brainer. For the CEO of Exxon—a company that has spent untold millions over decades lobbying against climate change—to make that statement is nothing less than shocking.

Woods’ capitulation is less surprising though if you think about where America’s largest oil and gas company finds itself, which is to say under siege. After a dismal 2020, the company is being called to account by analysts, activist hedge funds and even traditional investors.

“Exxon is in a tough spot,” says Randy Nelson, president of Sanguine Gas Exploration, a Tulsa-based, independent oil and gas company. “What [Exxon does] really well is managing complex projects at scale. But the market isn't sure about that now because of disappointing results and you're entering into a period of uncertainty about what demand is going to be after 2030.”

In other words concerns about climate change are causing industries and consumers to shift from hydrocarbons (oil, gas, gasoline etc.), into alternative fuels and products (solar and wind power on the wholesale side and Teslas and solar power on the consumer side.) This massive changeover, delicately referred to as “the energy transition,” poses nothing less than an extensional threat to Exxon."

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-the-future-holds-for-exxon-125555367.html

 

[Vladimir]

"We are committed to playing a leading role in greenhouse gas reductions consistent with the goals of the Paris agreement...”

Thus spoke Exxon (XOM) CEO Darren Woods at Exxon’s investor day this week. For most chief executives, supporting the Paris climate agreement at this point is a no-brainer. For the CEO of Exxon—a company that has spent untold millions over decades lobbying against climate change—to make that statement is nothing less than shocking.

It is hardly "shocking" for Exxon CEO to say that.  No downside to saying it, and the upside is currying favor with the media and others.

A few months ago, I called the Bonneville Power Administration and asked for actual electrical generated by source that made it to their grid.  They e-mailed me a large spreadsheet.

It is the data that goes into this chart.  Remember by law, BPA MUST buy wind power.  BTW, that means that county owned electrical generators have to dump electricity at a loss during spring shifting profits from the local counties to the large industrial wind companies. 

https://transmission.bpa.gov/business/operations/Wind/baltwg.aspx

In Washington state, well over 200,000 acres have been destroyed as functioning ecosystems by industrial wind areas.  Oregon has a similar acreage.  So between the two states about half a million acres.  That is larger than Seqouia National Park and a few years will be larger than ALL of Yosemite National Park.

The spreadsheet showed that wind topped out a 7% during the spring months when the Northwest has excess electricity.  Spring, fall, and winter those 500,000 acres of industrial wind areas generate very little electricity when it is most needed.

So little that for 2019 industrial wind areas accounted for just over 1% of the electricity used in the Pacific Northwest.

Wind and solar will NEVER be a significant source of electricity in the Northwest.  And the load balancing problems make it difficult to see how it will ever became the primary source of electricity.  I have owned a off-grid house for over 20 years.  Just this year I did a analysis of energy use between it and my grid house.  Interesting.

Currently most of the CO2 emissions in the United States come from transportation.  In fact, if it wasn't for the growth in transportation Washington state would have met its CO2 targets.  All the Governor has to do is drop the speed limit to 55 MPH.  He alone, has that authority.  That would reduce CO2 emissions by 20%.  The Europeans are doing it to meet their targets.

NOW, the CEO of Exxon should be concerned about a 55 MPH speed limit.  That would affect Exxon's bottom line.  Wind, not at all.

 

[Vladimir]

RV here is my comparison for my "solar" home versus grid connected.  Notice the CO2 emissions between the two homes.

Yeah, I know eastern Washington is the greenest society on this earth, but still solar just doesn't deliver enough energy to run ANY heating elements.

Just got my yearly electrical use summary from my ALL-Electric house. No solar panels.
Total Kilowatts Used.............................24,703

Annual Cost of Electricity......................$575.58
Washington taxes on public power.........$160.02

Total cost of Electricity for the entire year.........$735.60.

My vacation rental solar home....annual cost.

Firewood.......................................... ......$500
Propane..heat, generator, fridge, etc........$1850
Solar system repairs................................$150
Firewood system repairs & maintenance.....$250.

Total annual cost of operating the house..............$2750

Replacement fund for solar system (annual cost) $2000

The all-electric house is 2400 square feet and occupied year-round.
The solar house is 1800 square feet and occupied for about 100 days a year. I suspect living there full-time would probably add maybe another 1000 to a 2000 dollars primarily for propane.

The homes are 10 miles apart with the off-grid house being 2000 feet higher in elevation.

The total cost for all electric is $735.60 versus $4,750 for the off-grid home.

It really came to be much closer than I thought. Take your electrical rate and multiply it times the number of kilowatts above and it will give you a pretty good comparison if you want to go totally off-grid.

[RV_]

Who me? When did I ever say I wanted to go off grid since moving here.

But if I did I would take a whole different approach. I'd start with an earth sheltered home ( https://earthshelteredtechnology.com/floor-plans-2 ),  passive and active solar water heating and heated floors. 12kw Tesla Powerwalls energy storage, a fireplace for ambiance and warmth, and a well for our use. Septic by field lines or Oxidation pond, no wastewater treatment sytsems that blow bacteria in the air for us. The Garage would be in a well insulated 30X50X10 post frame building with more solar on it and a with a 20X30 workshop office, and a wall then two 15'X30' garage doors for each of two car spaces. The devil is in the details, for the one who does this.

I'm done building new and experimenting. Only finished and done traditional houses or much later an OFH. (Old Folks Home)

I hope you enjoyed setting up your rental place near your home. That would have been a fun project for us a decade ago. But we did the five acres in Louisiana while taking care of parents, and just moved here in 2019. 2020 we were grounded, and just now, with vaccinations we can go out with masks until the final all clear.

Enjoy it