So, I got curious and poked the lazywebs, because how come all this refining is concentrated in one part of the...
So, I got curious and poked the lazywebs, because how come all this refining is concentrated in one part of the country? And is that a good idea?
Turns out, there were at least 2 refineries in and around Buffalo that were shut down back in the 80's. I'm guessing there were refineries elsewhere, as well. Now, this also led to the discovery that the former site of the one refinery was listed as a brownfield clean-up site. Not optimal.
Isn't this critical infrastructure? Is it really so old and unsafe? I mean, we kind of still need this stuff; everything hasn't gone renewable and it won't any time soon.
Just wondering, as I wait for gas prices to hit $3.00/gal.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/03/02/forget-about-climate-change-americas-refineries-make-keystone-xl-a-bad-idea/#36fca4206d95
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/03/02/forget-about-climate-change-americas-refineries-make-keystone-xl-a-bad-idea/#36fca4206d95
Turns out, there were at least 2 refineries in and around Buffalo that were shut down back in the 80's. I'm guessing there were refineries elsewhere, as well. Now, this also led to the discovery that the former site of the one refinery was listed as a brownfield clean-up site. Not optimal.
Isn't this critical infrastructure? Is it really so old and unsafe? I mean, we kind of still need this stuff; everything hasn't gone renewable and it won't any time soon.
Just wondering, as I wait for gas prices to hit $3.00/gal.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/03/02/forget-about-climate-change-americas-refineries-make-keystone-xl-a-bad-idea/#36fca4206d95
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/03/02/forget-about-climate-change-americas-refineries-make-keystone-xl-a-bad-idea/#36fca4206d95
This is exactly-- exactly-- what was asked during Katrina: "Why'd they put a city with all that infrastructure there?!
ReplyDeleteFor modern international markets, you need facilities:
- On a coast, because you're either importing or exporting something in massive quantities
- At or damned near a major port, because those boats are motherfucking huge
- Not just any port, but a major river port, so you can transport up and/or down the river cheaply.
- It also helps immensely if the refineries are where the oil are, and there's a lot of oil in Texas.
Those factors alone narrow your search to the Gulf Coast, the Great lakes region, the California Coast, and some locations on the northern East Coast. Unsurprisingly, this is where refineries are located today, with the exception of the east coast. Every mile farther from the locations where they are drives the cost of energy up.
And that's without even thinking about the efficiency multipliers and networking effects of having large talent pools.
Once you go down that road, you also start asking, "Well gee, why put all the auto work in Detroit? If anything happens to Detroit, we're screwed!" "Oh, shit! All the high tech shit is in California! Isn't that critical infrastructure, too?"
I was just surprised to learn that there had actually been a lot more refineries in the past, and in places where there are none, now.
ReplyDeleteShifting nature of markets-- the truly early refineries were in the northeast, to take advantage of Vanderbilt's rail network and to supply the northeast with kerosene. today, it's an exponentially larger international affair.
ReplyDeleteLocal environmental law may also play a role, but I'm less certain of that than I am of the geographic factors.