Soft energy paths: Toward a durable peace

by Amory B. Lovins

Writing from the viewpoint of a disenchanted nuclear technologist, the author appeals for a reconsideration or present energy strategies, emphasizing the hazards of atomic energy and the errors of current energy forecasts

Genres: Economics, Nonfiction, Science

Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Amory Bloch Lovins is an American writer, physicist, and former chairman/chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has written on energy policy and related areas for four decades, and served on the US National Petroleum Council, an oil industry lobbying group, from 2011 to 2018.
Lovins has promoted energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy sources, and the generation of energy at or near the site where the energy is actually used. Lovins has also advocated a "negawatt revolution" arguing that utility customers don't want kilowatt-hours of electricity; they want energy services. In the 1990s, his work with Rocky Mountain Institute included the design of an ultra-efficient automobile, the Hypercar. He has provided expert testimony and published 31 books, including Reinventing Fire, Winning the Oil Endgame, Small is Profitable, Brittle Power, and Natural Capitalism.

Reviews

[Daniel Riveong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft Energy Path is 40 years old, but still presents an evocative framework for thinking about energy infrastructure. Beyond the sustainable aspects of energy sources, the author frames energy production as a socio-political question. Do we use centralized or decentralized energy sources? Should energy production require technocratic elite to operate or should it be community based? Do our values align with how we produce and consume energy?

Yes, the author's calculation on energy production and consumption are dated. But at over 40 years old, that's to be expected. What was surprising was how much of the book is relevant for us today. With today's distributed energy resources (DER), such as residential solar polar, combined with blockchain technologies (See Power Ledger), it looks like this book's dream can finally come true!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat technical, but groundbreaking book about alternative and "green" energy. I was fortunate enough to see the author speak a few years after it was first published. The topics covered in this book were on the fringe when it was published in 1977, but are now an integral part of national energy policy.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not the most simple read, this book led me to a deeper consideration of necessities and requirements in our daily living patterns.