A Free-Market Energy Blog

“Contradictions, Bias Undermine Credibility of the Health Canada Wind Turbine Noise Study” (An Open Letter)

By Mark Davis and Keith Stelling -- December 10, 2014

“We are dismayed that the recently released Health Canada Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study has ignored the distress of real people by hiding behind meaningless ‘estimated’ noise projections and predictive modeling rather than first making professional clinical observations based on the histories of actual sufferers.

Investigation of anecdotal evidence is the foundation of all medicine. The Health Canada study summary contains no reference to the growing body of research that contradicts the main theme of the summary.”

3 December, 2014

From: Multi-municipal Wind Turbine Working Group

To: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister; The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health

The Multi-municipal Wind Turbine Working Group is comprised of elected municipal councillors and appointed citizens from parts of Southern Ontario where approximately 30% of industrial wind turbines are concentrated.…

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The Public Utility Regulatory Formula–and Its Alternative

By Jim Clarkson -- December 9, 2014

“The formula gives the utility little incentive to reduce operating costs as these are passed through allowing full recovery. As long as the rate of return (rr) is above the cost of debt, the rate base can be inflated by spending more capital than necessary. The rr is almost always well above the cost of debt.”

Regulated utilities, each granted a territorial monopoly by the state, are allowed to recover their cost of doing business and earn a return on invested capital. The so-called revenue requirement is expressed in this formula:

Rev = Oc + (V-D)rr

Where:

Rev = Revenue justified by cost and return

Oc = Operating cost including depreciation

V = Value, always first costs

D = Depreciation

rr = Rate of return allowed by regulators

(V-D) = Rate base, this is the current book value of assets and the un-recovered part of depreciable assets and other amortized capital.

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“Doubling Down on Climate Alarmism” (an editorial gets read)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 8, 2014

“Voters and citizens all must tell Tom Steyer, the moneyed Left Foundations, taxpayer-inebriated scientists, green-energy cronies, Left politicians, and Crony Republicans that human-need philanthropy should replace the politics of pessimism and waste. It is time to end the futile climate crusade.”

– Robert Bradley, “Doubling Down on Climate Alarmism,” Forbes.com, December 1, 2014.

The free-market energy space these days is very crowded, quite unlike the old days when just a few of us were battling Big Government, Big Environmentalism, and Big Cronyism (think Enron). As one of the veterans, my blogs and op-eds now compete against a number of new voices, beginning with Alex Epstein and continuing with “America’s Voice for Energy” Marita Noon, and others. (Marlo Lewis, then as now, stands above as scholar-blogger.)…

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Holiday Bummer! Neo-Malthusianism (consumption, climate-free conversation decried)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 4, 2014
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ConU: Rate Base Diseconomies all the Way to the Bank (a parody)

By Jim Clarkson -- December 3, 2014
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“End Wind Welfare!” Let Me Count the Reasons

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 2, 2014
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AWED Energy & Environmental Newsletter: December 1, 2014

By -- December 1, 2014
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Thanksgiving: A Free Market Celebration Too

By Richard Ebeling -- November 27, 2014
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Thanksgiving Remembrance: Don’t Take Liberty for Granted

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- November 26, 2014
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DOE Policy: In Search of Transparency (efficiency standards in controversy)

By -- November 25, 2014
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