About the Author

Name: RRapier

Web Site: Link

Bio: Robert Rapier is presently employed as the Engineering Director for Accsys Technologies, an environmental science and technology company. At various times, he has worked on cellulosic ethanol, butanol production, oil refining, natural gas production, and gas-to-liquids. His articles often appear on The Oil Drum and his R-Squared Energy Blog. Robert has a master's dregree in Chemical Engineering.

Articles by RRapier

The Redundant Subsidy By Robert Rapier

The Redundant Subsidy By Robert Rapier

Even for staunch proponents of U.S. biofuel policy, it is hard to argue that the current subsidy on grain ethanol serves the purpose it was designed to serve. With ethanol mandates now in place in the form of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), there is a mechanism - with penalties for non-compliance - to ensure that gasoline blenders use the mandated amount of ethanol. Maintaining a subsidy on top of a mandate would be like

The Next Five Years–Peak Lite and the Current Oil Picture

A few years ago, after spending a lot of time thinking about peak oil, and then watching the price of oil break out of its historical trading range and

Taxes and Choice

Whenever I mention the idea of increasing gasoline taxes, some inevitably hear only half the message: A tax increase. They don’t want to know about