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Pickens Plan II: Retreat as Prelude to Failure? (worth reading Sunday)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 29, 2009

Several MasterResource posts on the problems of the original Pickens Plan, and the retreat to Pickens Plan II, are worth revisiting as T. Boone continues his multi-million-dollar quest for a government-engineered energy makeover.

Pickens, like Al Gore, does not want to debate his plan–he just wants to implement it with edicts. But fundamental problems remain with Pickens I and the scaled-back Pickens II. Here is a one-two-three punch by critics:…

Human Achievement Hour” Saturday March 28th at 8:30 PM (celebrate energetically–don’t turn off the lights)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 27, 2009

This Saturday is the third annual, 2009 edition of the Earth Hour campaign to turn off the lights for one hour to bring attention to the alleged crisis of global climate change. The organizer, the World Wide Fund for Nature, states:

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Here is a better idea: leave the lights on in observation of Human Achievement Hour as suggested by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.…

Governor Rick Perry (R-TX), T. Boone Pickens, and the Enron Legacy of Windpower

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 24, 2009

Last December, Texas governor Rick Perry, speaking at a Houston fundraiser, sadly noted how President George W. Bush had lost his way in Washington, D.C. His good friend had compromised his principles and left the nation in a lurch, however unintentionally.

But then the governor launched into his Texas-is-great stump speech that included kudos to windpower, a new large industry (no) thanks to a legislative mandate requiring that Texas electricity retailers purchase qualifying renewable energy. (Wind is the most economical of the qualifiers.) The 1999 mandate, enacted with the crucial help of Enron lobbyists, was increased in 2002 with a powerful wind lobby at work. And so at  the point of a gun, Texas became the leading windpower state in the country, passing California along the way.

So it was not surprising that last Saturday night Gov.…

On the Big Energy and Environmental Picture (good reading Sunday)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 22, 2009

Progress Report: MasterResource (1Q–2009)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 21, 2009

“Optimistic” Obama Distances Himself from “Malthusian, woe, Chicken Little, the earth is falling”

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 20, 2009

Robert Bryce on James Hansen’s Anti-Coal Crusade (worth reading Sunday)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 15, 2009

Remembering the Old James Hansen (give him some credit)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 12, 2009

Three Libertarian Women and Energy

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 11, 2009

Science Magazine: Remembering a Rare Energy Realism Essay (Best Article Award?)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- March 8, 2009