Ed. Note: The post reproduces the introduction and conclusion of a new report by the Institute for Energy Research (IER), The Pacific Premium: Why Gasoline Costs More in Democratic-Controlled States. The bottom line: in Democratic-controlled states, state fuel taxes, carbon mandates, and regulations add on average 55 cents per gallon at the pump.
“For policymakers, that is the actionable point: the levers that explain the gap are specific and identifiable, and the largest of them, state fuel taxes and transportation carbon taxes, pass through to consumers nearly dollar for dollar.”
When gasoline prices climb, drivers everywhere start asking the same question: what’s really behind the pain at the pump? The answers are rarely simple. Shifting global oil markets, OPEC decisions, wars and sanctions disrupting supply, refinery outages, pipeline constraints, seasonal weather and demand swings can all play a role.…
Continue Reading“But we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Hydrogen problems are real. It is so light it is difficult, meaning expensive, to store. That’s a problem for transportation uses.”
Hydrogen, 1H, the primary and most common element in the universe, consists of one proton, one electron, and no neutrons. It’s in first place on the periodic chart of the elements. In common, gaseous form, H2, it is colorless, odorless, and highly combustible. It is the fuel of the sun.
For many years, some energy mavens have touted hydrogen, an energy carrier, as the perfect fuel form for a greener earth. When combusted in pure oxygen, it produces only water and a lot of energy. When burned in air, it emits only small amounts of oxides of nitrogen.…
Continue ReadingThis post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, a free fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. Droz is also the author of the popular Substack Critically Thinking About Select Societal Issues.
Unreliables (General):
FMEA – Generation: Wind & Solar
Wind Energy:
*** A Renaissance Life – Jon E. Boone, Fighting Ill Wind
Atlantic Shores permit headed for BOEM review
World-first typhoon-resistant wind platform starts powering oil rigs in China
Nuclear Energy:
America is watching the world’s movement to nuclear power generation
Romania begins shutdown of nuclear plant’s 2nd reactor amid low water levels on Danube River
Miscellaneous Energy News:
*** We Need an Energy Explosion, Not an Energy Transition | Panel Discussion
Embodied energy – The first step in understanding eROI
Holtec’s Air-Cooled Condenser Technology is Poised to Solve the Growing Water Scarcity Challenge Faced by Power Plants Across the Globe
Manmade Global Warming:
*** When Will The Climate Liars Stop Lying?…