Classical Liberalism and Electricity: First Principles Please

“The separation of government and electricity (six words) or, more precisely, the separation of government and the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity (twelve words) is simple enough…. Why deny this Political Economy 101 definition between free-market reliance and government intervention?”

The separation of government and electricity is a straightforward, time-honored application of classical liberalism (or the free market). It has existed as long as I have been in the debate (the 1990s) and probably since the beginning of the industry. In contrast, restructuring, partial deregulation, or reregulation connotes the mixed-economy alternatives of market here-government there in this sector.

Deregulation as an escape from public utility regulation harks back to the Reason Foundation and Robert Poole Jr. in the early 1980s. In 1985, Poole’s Unnatural Monopolies: The Case for Deregulating Public Utilities (Lexington Books) challenged the “natural monopoly” case for franchise protection and rate-and-service government regulation in the different industries.…

Pool Chillers: Don’t Whine, Adapt! (and get those ‘cheap’ renewable rates)

Ed Note: Climate alarmists/forced energy transformationists are out in force during the current heat wave, wagging fingers at skeptics and pounding the chest about “low” rates for wind/solar electricity in Texas. With pool companies in the state advertising chillers, here is one adaptation opportunity.

“The most obvious reason for a pool chiller, of course, is comfort: A good chiller can help take your swimming pool water from too hot to just right.”

“While there’s no true ‘magic number’ when it comes to swimming pool water temperature, most pool professionals agree that the ideal temperature is between 78 and 84 degrees.”

Pool Chillers: The Best Way to Keep Your Swimming Pool Cool

When temperatures rise, there’s nothing quite like a dip in your cool, refreshing swimming pool to beat the heat.…

James Hansen on Fire

“Interestingly, none other than Michael Mann disagreed with Hansen’s climate acceleration hypothesis. Is it because Mann et al. know that doomerism is a political loser? Climate science is so political and PR-driven it is hard to know.

Recently in the Guardian, James Hansen unloaded on the complacent public for giving the world the current heat wave. How interesting, coming 35 years after he went alarmist to inspire exaggerated and falsified predictions of future temperature and sea-level-rise. And today, even alarmist scientists are pushing back on Hansen’s dire prediction of heating acceleration.

Here is another data point on the outlier Hansen. In 2006, he gave this ultimatum:

We have at most ten years—not ten years to decide upon action, but ten years to alter fundamentally the trajectory of global greenhouse emissions.

Renewable Tax Credits: Kiesling Ducks Again

Shell Knew? No (outlier climate prediction exaggerated)

Texas Wind Power: The Beginning (1993)

Tomlinson’s Narrative on the (Wounded) Texas Grid: More Misdirection from the Houston Chronicle

Woman of System? Lynne Kiesling as Electricity Planner

Free Market Electricity: End the Blackout (Kiesling bobs and weaves)

Peak Gas: A Forecasting Failure of Henry Groppe Jr.