A Free-Market Energy Blog

America’s 1926 Oil Glut: Drive for Mandatory Proration by Independents Begins

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 26, 2015

“Beginning in late 1926, the rapid development of the large Seminole field in Oklahoma made the pendulum swing the other way. Voluntary proration­ was first tried with little success. Local producers appealed to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for compulsory action. Output of one‑half million barrels per day was driving prices down, which threatened many firms.”

Mandatory proration, a government intervention re­stricting open‑flow production to a predetermined “market demand,” began almost simultane­ously in the sister oil states of Oklahoma and Texas in 1927. Other important oil states followed – except for California and Illinois that either practiced voluntary production cutbacks or none at all. [1]

California’s  free-market position did not result from free-market ideology; it was the victory of integrated Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) over the dogged mandatory-proration lobbying of their non-integrated rivals.

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The Brave Judith Curry (Part II)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 25, 2015

I have previously written about climatologist Judith Curry‘s continuing challenge to politicized climate science. “One plus the truth equals a majority,” I subtitled Part I back in May.

MasterResource has also covered Climategate, in which emails appeared that contained such statements as “I gave up on Judith Curry a while ago. I don’t know what she thinks she’s doing, but it’s not helping the cause, or her professional credibility.” (Dr. Michael Mann, IPCC Lead Author, May 30, 2008)

The Grand Dame of Climate Science is maintaining her prolific output at Climate Etc, which now includes energy- and policy-related commentary. Her posts, and guest posts by others, are increasingly multi-disciplinary, questioning not only the trumped consensus of physical climate science but also the postmodernist notion of preferable, competitive “clean” energy.…

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AWED Energy & Environmental Newsletter: August 24, 2015

By -- August 24, 2015

The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).

A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.

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Some of the most informative articles in this issue are:

True Cost of Energy—Wind

Wind Energy Property Value Studies Summarized

Infrasound and Wind Turbines

Infrasound & Low Frequency Noise Can be Deadly

Favorable Court Ruling on 30-Year Eagle-Take Permits

30 Million Birds Annually Killed by Wind Turbines

Renewables drain our resources

Renewables Offer No Bang for Your Megawatt

The Energy Liberation Plan

Global Warming Alarmists Run Into Brick Wall Of Facts

Keeping it simple: the value of an irreducibly simple climate model

There are two debates about ‘climate change’

State Legislator’s Exceptional Letter on Global Warming

IPCC Sea Level Rise Projections Exaggerated

Note also there is a special section of several articles about the US EPA energy plan (like this)

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Greed Energy Economics

True Cost of Energy — Wind

Wind Energy Property Value Studies Summarized

Green Mythology and the High Price of Electricity

How Climate Policies Affect Lower-Income Residents

California “green energy” measure fails to create green jobs

Stop the Money to Kill the Climate Treaty

The Heavy Price of Renewable Energy in NC

Electricity Supply – Driven by Politics at the Customers’ Expense?

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The Fruitful Earth and CO2 Fertilization: A Biblical Defense (Part II: Righteousness)

By -- August 20, 2015
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The Fruitful Earth and CO2 Fertilization: A Biblical Defense (Part I: Essential Questions)

By -- August 19, 2015
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Brattle Group: Statism for Electricity (chairman Peter Fox-Penner makes his case)

By -- August 18, 2015
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Refrack Resourceship: Why the Carbon-based Energy Era Is Still Young

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 17, 2015
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Bald and Golden Eagles Victorious: Court Invalidates 30-Year “Eagle Take” Rule (feds vs. federal law)

By Robert Johns -- August 13, 2015
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Industrial Wind vs. Rural America, Electricity Markets

By Mary Kay Barton -- August 12, 2015
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Wind Turbines vs. Weather Radar in Tornado Alley (Nebraska showdown)

By -- August 11, 2015
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