A Free-Market Energy Blog

Climate Alarmists Turn Back the Clock

By Viv Forbes -- January 19, 2015

“The use of carbon fuels in the production, fertilising, transport, and storage of food has been a major factor in allowing the world population to grow by several billions since the start of the industrial revolution. If climate alarmists succeed in turning back the clock, food and energy will again become reserved for the rich and powerful, and billions of poor people will die of starvation or exposure.”

Three centuries ago, the world ran on green power. Wood was used for heating and cooking, charcoal for smelting and smithing, wind or water-power for pumps mills and ships, and whale oil or tallow for lamps. People and soldiers walked or rode horses, and millions of horses and oxen pulled ploughs, wagons, coaches and artillery.

But smoke from open fires choked cities, forests were stripped of trees, most of the crops went to feed draft animals, and streets were littered with horse manure.…

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The Stunningly Beautiful Price of Gasoline

By Jeffrey Tucker -- January 15, 2015

Beginning with the holiday season, American consumers have received an unexpected gift.

Mine came this morning when I filled up my car with gas. I paid $2.13 per gallon. This felt like luxury. It seems surprising, implausible, even wonderful. I asked around. Some people are paying even less, even $2. All the pressure is down. Down — despite everything.

Looking at the history, I found the following chart from the U.S. Energy Administration, already a bit out of date — the forecast doesn’t anticipate the extent of the fall– but it shows that gas prices are settling back to 1990’s levels and lower today in real terms than they were 40 years ago. Have a look.

Screen Shot 2014-12-26 at 9.48.39 AM

That’s just amazing. Why? If all you followed were the policies and the headlines, you would think prices would be ten times what they are.…

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Georgia Cronyism: DSM, Nuclear Plague Public Service Commission

By Jim Clarkson -- January 14, 2015

“Georgia Power says the Vogtle project creates lots of jobs and buys lot of building materials. The same could be said about the construction of a large pyramid. The question should be about the value of the costly project verses other things that might have used the labor and materials.”

Thanks to Jonathan Gruber of Obamacare fame, we now know all about behind-the-scenes development of government policies that override consumer wishes, hide the truth, and generally regard the public with contempt.

In Georgia, one Dick Spellman, a consultant for the Public Service Commission, is the sinister architect behind the PSC’s imposed Demand Side Management (DSM) program administered by the utility.

The premise of mandatory DSM programs is that consumers are too stupid to know what is good for them; but policy experts, like Spellman, do.…

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Bipartisan Energy Policy: Consumers, Taxpayers Beware

By Peter Grossman -- January 13, 2015
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Cape Wind Is Dead! (U.S. offshore wind stuck at zero)

By -- January 12, 2015
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The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels (book review)

By Jay Lehr and Sterling Burnett -- January 8, 2015
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Energy for a Free Society: The American Energy Act (IER/AEA)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 7, 2015
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The American Energy Renaissance Act of 2014: Cruz/Bridenstine Revisited

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 6, 2015
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AWED Energy & Environmental Newsletter: January 5, 2015

By -- January 5, 2015
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Happy Holidays from MasterResource

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 23, 2014
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