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Natural gas did most of this. Lower emissions from fracking. Or as the ‘Clean...
Here’s an interesting graph from the federal government’s Energy Information Administration today in a release entitled “U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2015 are 12% below their 2005...
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Why solar and wind are the most expensive way to reduce emissions
The most important consideration in electricity provision is cost to consumers. Electricity is a basic human need. In North Carolina that need gets met by a monopoly provider. There is, however, this...
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Cute. But sorry, renewables, the “Gig” is up…
A light-hearted tweet from Clean Energy NC on twitter hearkens back to Back to the Future (the scene, for those of you woefully in the dark about it): NC Solar Power Could Send Doc Back to the Future...
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Even more reasons why renewable energy mandates make electricity cost much...
Here’s a graph for you. Further down I’ll explain what it means: But first, yesterday’s edition of The News & Observer had an op-ed from UNC-Chapel Hill research professor David N. McNelis on “The...
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Federal energy subsidies and the battle between cronies
The New York Times asks, “What would happen if the federal government ended its subsidies to companies that drill for oil and gas?” The American oil and gas industry has argued that such a move would...
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Detroit News editorial: ‘Green energy’ hurts the poor
The editorial, by Utah State professor William Shughart and researcher Michael Jensen, reiterate points made here. They argue that the politicized drive for “green energy” is drowning out the much...
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Matthew reminds us: electricity really is a basic human necessity
The idea for my Carolina Journal column today came to me Sunday night, while I was sitting in the dark with the rest of my family reading by candlelight and hoping we would have power and water...
View ArticleA side note: what wasn’t a founding purpose of the REPS mandate
In my Carolina Journal column today I noted: … North Carolina’s [electricity] rates have been among the most competitive in the nation. That changed when the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency...
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The market is solving emissions concerns. Bet you haven’t heard THAT.
The recent Brookings report on the future of the climate has irreducible good news for environmentalists who have been concerned about emissions. Counter to the pedal drone of media reports, they are...
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So why are NC’s energy-based emissions falling this century? Oh, and: NC’s...
Read about this in my Spotlight report on The Market Forces Behind North Carolina’s Falling Emissions. If you’d like a hint, these charts: go a long way toward explaining this graph:
View ArticlePublic policies favoring renewables are threatening upheaval in power markets
You can’t have a competitive environment when utilities have to purchase any renewable power that’s produced and when state and federal subsidies and tax credits artificially lower their actual costs...
View ArticleIf you can’t win customers and investors, win politicians
Since the renewable energy industry cannot build itself by winning customers and investors on the strength of its own merits, they have to win politicians — who can force people to be their customers...
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About that big drop in NC energy emissions this century
What do all these things have in common? Curious? Read “The Market Forces Behind North Carolina’s Falling Emissions” to find out.
View ArticleDetailing renewable energy’s dependency on government goodies
Dan Way writes this morning in Carolina Journal about the “NC Ratepayers Protection Act” (House Bill 745). A snippet: If the bill passes, the REPS [renewable energy portfolio standards mandate] would...
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Your ‘Earth Day’ news: NC energy-based emissions have been FALLING all century
For whatever reason this never makes news reports, even though it is big news: Energy-based emissions in North Carolina, like the U.S., have been falling all century. Here are some graphs; read more...
View ArticleBig energy corporation suing small, rural towns
It’s not big news because it’s a renewable energy corporation. Still, what National Review reports here is disturbing: NextEra Energy, which bills itself on its website as “the world’s largest...
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Changes in HB 589 before the Senate
Here is a brief look at the changes to House Bill 589 now under debate before the Senate. This blog is a companion to my in-depth look at how the bill would affect consumers (in version 3 that passed...
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Attn. NC policymakers: Montana just cut its PURPA rates by 40%
Big news out of Montana, one state that had (past tense) worse PURPA compliance policies than North Carolina’s: Montana’s Public Service Commission … reduced rates paid under the Public Utility...
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Battery storage is quite limited and has many, many other uses than...
Unlike most goods, electricity has to be consumed the moment it is produced. That is what makes “dispatchable” energy sources so vital: the source (nuclear, coal, natural gas) can produce electricity...
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New York state also dealing with the issue of wind turbines disrupting...
Carolina Journal reporting over the years has shown there are serious consequences to how wind facilities affect local communities and military installations. Massive turbines can disrupt military...
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