A Free-Market Energy Blog

Energy: The Master Resource (by Robert L. Bradley Jr. and Richard W. Fulmer)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 8, 2025

Editor’s Note: Master Resource’s founder and editor, Rob Bradley, is currently struggling with the aftermath of torrential flooding in the Texas Hill Country. Until he can return to work, he has asked me to post “classic” MR entries. The following surely qualifies. It is a review of the book that he and Richard Fulmer published in 2004, and that gave its name to this blog.—Roger Donway, Managing Editor.

This book review was published just short of 20 years ago in The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics [Vol. 8, No. 3 (FALL 2005): 93–95] by Pierre Desrochers of the University of Toronto.

“Austrian economists have so far contributed very little to energy studies…. This book could therefore go a long way in providing a new set of concrete economic examples and principles for use in classroom discussions.”

Continue Reading

Energy & Environmental Review: July 7, 2025

By -- July 7, 2025

This 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.

Greed Energy Economics:
*** Alex Epstein: Where the fight against energy subsidies stands
Alex Epstein: The Senate totally fails to terminate the Green New Scam
Alex Epstein: What I really told Thom Tillis about terminating new solar/wind subsidies using “placed in service”
How the Senate can save hundreds of billions of dollars—and our grid—by truly terminating IRA subsidiesThe Big Beautiful Bill Torpedoes Big Solar & Big Wind

Unreliables (General):
*** Renewable energy is doomed
*** ‘All Of The Above’ Is DEI For Energy
*** Shattered Green Dreams

Wind Energy — Other:
*** Feds ignore their research on windmills killing eagles
Watch Craig Rucker on wind energy
Wind turbine blade crashes into traffic on busy Northeast interstate
The ‘Wind Scam’ of Wind Turbines — There’s nothing clean about this

Nuclear Energy:
*** The Trump Administration Advocates for Nuclear Power
*** New Policy Report: Transforming the Back End of the U.S.

Continue Reading

Adam Smith’s Insight for Independence Day 2025 (Part II)

By Richard Ebeling -- July 4, 2025

Part I yesterday explained Adam Smith’s notion that general human betterment was the unintended result of each individual following his own self-interest in the market arena of voluntary and competitive exchange. Adam Smith considered such natural order far superior to attempts by government, by those in political power, to design and impose an order and coordination in the actions of the members of society.

Echoing his earlier warnings about the social engineer, that “man of system,” Smith stated:

By pursuing his own interest [the individual] frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good . . .

What is the species of domestic industry which his capital can employ, and of which the produce is likely to be of the greatest value, every individual, it is evident, can, in his own situation, judge much better than any statesman or lawgiver can do for him.

Continue Reading

Adam Smith’s Insight for Independence Day 2025 (Part I)

By Richard Ebeling -- July 3, 2025
Continue Reading

The First Solar Power Plant: 1916

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 2, 2025
Continue Reading

Competitive Solar? A Perennial Deceit (Enron/NYT in 1994)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 1, 2025
Continue Reading

Solar Tax Credits: 1978–2025 (never enough)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 30, 2025
Continue Reading

Thomas R. DeGregori: Last Knight of Institutionalist Resourceship (two tributes)

By Administrator -- June 27, 2025
Continue Reading

Climate Exchange with Jean Boissinot: For the Record

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 26, 2025
Continue Reading

IRA Cronies: American Clean Power Association, et al.

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 25, 2025
Continue Reading