PREFACE -- CONTENTS -- Chapter 1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION -- HISTORICAL PER CAPITA ENERGY CONSUMPTION -- ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE -- ENERGY IN TRANSITION -- "DECARBONIZATION" -- Chapter 2 ENERGY OPTIONS - FOSSIL ENERGY -- ORIGIN OF FOSSIL FUELS -- Biogenic Theory -- Abiogenic Theory -- FOSSIL FUELS -- Coal -- Coalbed Methane -- Petroleum -- Gas Hydrates -- Tight Gas Sands and Shale Gas -- Shale Oil and Tar Sands -- FOSSIL ENERGY AND COMBUSTION -- Chapter 3 ENERGY OPTIONS - NUCLEAR ENERGY -- HISTORY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY -- Discovery of the Nucleus -- History of Nuclear Power -- NUCLEAR REACTORS -- Nuclear Fission Reactors -- Availability of Nuclear Fuel -- Nuclear Fusion Reactors -- GLOBAL DEPENDENCE ON NUCLEAR POWER -- Chapter 4 ENERGY OPTIONS - SOLAR ENERGY -- SOURCE OF SOLAR ENERGY -- PASSIVE SOLAR ENERGY -- Roof Overhang -- Thermal Conductivity and Insulation -- ACTIVE SOLAR ENERGY -- Solar Heat Collectors -- Energy Conversion Efficiency -- SOLAR POWER PLANTS -- Solar Power Tower -- Solar Electric Generating Systems -- SOLAR ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY -- Photoelectric Effect -- Photovoltaics -- Chapter 5 ENERGY OPTIONS - WIND AND WATER -- WIND -- Wind Turbine -- Wind Farms -- Environmental Impact -- HYDROPOWER -- WAVES AND TIDES -- Waves and Tides -- Ocean Thermal -- GEOTHERMAL -- Geothermal Heat Pump -- Direct-Use Applications -- Geothermal Heating System -- Geothermal Power Plants -- Managing Geothermal Reservoirs -- Hot Dry Rock -- Chapter 6 ENERGY OPTIONS - BIOMASS AND SYNFUELS -- BIOMASS -- Wood -- Ethanol -- Biopower -- SYNFUELS -- Coal Gasification -- Biomass Conversion -- Gas-to-Liquid Conversion -- Chapter 7 HYDROGEN - AN ENERGY CARRIER -- PROPERTIES OF HYDROGEN -- HYDROGEN PRODUCTION -- Thermal Decomposition and Gasification -- HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS -- THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY.

Chapter 8 ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION -- HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC POWER -- Steam Generated Power -- The Battle of Currents -- Growth of the Electric Power Industry -- ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION -- TRANSFORMERS -- ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION -- Transmission and Distribution System -- Household Circuits -- Distributed Generation -- Chapter 9 ENERGY, ECONOMICS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- ENERGY AND THE ECONOMY -- Cash Flow and Economic Indicators -- Life Cycle Analysis -- Risk Analysis and Real Options Analysis -- FOSSIL ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- Global Warming -- RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- NUCLEAR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- Nuclear Fission -- Nuclear Fusion -- Radioactive Waste -- Containment Failure -- Nuclear Fallout -- Nuclear Winter -- Chapter 10 ENERGY FORECASTS -- SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT -- ENERGY AND ETHICS -- ENERGY AND GEOPOLITICS -- Clash of Civilizations -- FORECASTS -- Forecasts: Nuclear Energy -- Forecasts: Renewable Energy -- Forecasts: Schollnberger Energy Mix -- Forecasts: Hubbert and a Gaussian Fit -- Figure Credits -- References -- Index.