Another erroneous description of the Institute for Energy Research (IER) from a Progressivist ‘hit-piece’ organization. This one comes from SourceWatch of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), self-described as follows:
The Center for Media and Democracy publishes SourceWatch to track corporations. We provide well-documented information about corporate public relations (PR) campaigns, including corporate front groups, people who “front” corporate campaigns, and PR operations.
This organization instructs readers to “check out the in-depth research from around the world by our partner projects within SourceWatch: Coal Swarm, and FrackSwarm.” But is the entry for IER well researched, up-to-date, and objectively accurate? No, no, and no.
The description (in yellow) follows with my comments/corrections:
The Institute for Energy Research (IER), founded in 1989 from a predecessor non-profit organization registered by Charles G. Koch and Robert L. Bradley Jr., advocates positions on environmental issues including deregulation of utilities, climate change denial, and claims that conventional energy sources are virtually limitless.
COMMENT: IER was not “registered” by Charles Koch. Mr. Koch did not participate in the formation of IER, financially or otherwise. I founded IER with my father as financial enabler.
No, IER is not engaged in “climate change denial.” Climate changes from natural forces, as the father of the climate alarm, James Hansen, states:
Climate would fluctuate without any change of climate forcings. The chaotic aspect of climate is an innate characteristic of the coupled fundamental equations describing climate system dynamics.
The human influence on climate has distinct positives, including warmer nights, warmer winters, and longer growing seasons. CO2 fertilization is significant. And for the long, long run, a counter to a natural cooling, even an Ice Age, is a positive.
Yes, “conventional energy sources are virtually limitless.” Peak Oil and Peak Natural Gas are recycled, debunked ideas that are not relevant to business and economic decision-making in the near, medium, and long term. Climate policy is the threat, not the natural state of things for resourceship.
The IER’s President was formerly Director of Public Relations Policy at Enron.
COMMENT: My title at Enron was Director, Public Policy Analysis, not the title stated. My history with Enron and public policy that should be of interest to SourceWatch is here.
This page was last edited on 2 January 2020, at 21:23.
COMMENT: The description is laded with very old, out-of-date information. The address and much information on IER is more than ten years old and either wrong or irrelevant.
I have labored to correct the factual errors concerning the origins and purpose of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-free-market, pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer organization I founded in 1989. For more information, please see:
Dear Wiki: Time to Correct (IER description biased, erroneous), Sept 22, 2021
The Institute for Energy Research: Formation and Early History (June 24, 2021)
IHS-Texas: Forerunner to IER (for the record) June 23, 2021
On the Origins of IER (for the record) January 2, 2020
IER is a classical-liberal organization and should be described as such:
A Free Market Energy Vision (November 4, 2020)
And if SourceWatch was really unbiased and informative, why would it not track and expose the rent-seeking, cronies behind wind, solar, batteries, EVs, etc. Oh, they have no report card from the Progressive Left.