A Free-Market Energy Blog

American Wind Industry Association: Circling the Wagons

By Thomas Stacy II -- August 8, 2011

Until the end of 2010, the American Wind Energy Association’s annual reports were in the public domain. The details of their business now go to members only.

What has changed? What information has the lobby organization decided to share only with insiders? And why?

A look at some of AWEA’s slanted and aggressive one liners, such as August 4th’s Continued Growth Depends on Consistent Tax Policy, is revealing. Make no mistake–the fate of the industry is not in the hands of consumers as it is with virtually all other goods and services in our economy. It is wholly government dependent. And in terms of the paramount budget debate, wind power is not viable without exemption from its American duty to help reduce our national debt.

AWEA’s predicament has lead them to simultaneously threaten and beg Congress.…

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A West Texas Lizard vs. Oil and Gas Production (Controversial government evidence with consequences)

By Vance Ginn -- August 5, 2011

Most People have never heard of the dunes sagebrush lizard, but it may soon hit them where it hurts: the wallet.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to classify the lizard as an endangered species. This could stop production of more than 1,000 oil wells and reduce annual oil production by at least 7 million barrels.  The resulting burdens and lost opportunities for America’s working families would be outrageous on their own, but they are especially outrageous in this case given how paltry the evidence is underlying the federal government’s proposed action.

The agency considers five factors in designating a species as endangered. These include whether the habitat is threatened, overutilization of the species, disease, inadequacy of existing regulation mechanisms, and natural or manmade factors that hinder the existence of the species.…

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Ontario's Great Windpower Escape: A Setback Only

By Sherri Lange -- August 4, 2011

[Sherri Lange’s previous reports on the Ontario wind siting battles are “Wind’s Political Trouble in Ontario (Secretive Samsung deal, power rates at issue)’ from May 11 and Ontario Update: Offshore Wind Moratorium Decision Hangs Tough, Onshore BAU Targetedfrom April 8.]

In an Elvis-has-left-the-building-but-might-be-coming-back kind of moment, the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) in Ontario announced to that the Kent Breeze turbine project could continue. The appellants failed in this instance to prove that there would be “serious” health effects posed by the project, ERT determined.

The Tribunal did leave the doors open for future challenges, however. And not all is lost: this project was the first ever public legal challenge based on health and safety concerns.

Expect victories in the future. On the heels of this pro-wind decision that despaired many around the world tuned into this legal challenge, came Carl Phillips’ release of an epidemiological study: there are very real and verifiable health consequences for living too near turbines.…

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Environmentalists vs. Cap-and-Trade: Washington Yesterday, California Today

By Tom Tanton -- August 3, 2011
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Nano Climate Change: Another Issue for Industrial Wind

By Mark Lively -- August 2, 2011
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Renewable Energy Trouble: Energy Reality Meets Budget Reality

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 1, 2011
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Seasteading and Stewardship: An Introduction to a New Frontier

By Max Borders -- July 29, 2011
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Federal 'Clean Energy' Loan Guarantees: Crazy Dollars for Bubble Jobs

By Vance Ginn -- July 28, 2011
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Towards a New Environmentalism (open criticism, midcourse correction, and scholarship needed)

By Steve Hayward -- July 27, 2011
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Wind Turbines and Whooping Cranes: Going Soft on Soft Energy (politically correct environmental damage)

By Tom Tanton -- July 26, 2011
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