A Free-Market Energy Blog

Wind Output Plaguing Texas (ERCOT weathers on)

By Ed Ireland -- August 21, 2023

“Failures of wind and solar during severe weather events are a problem, but a larger problem is that failures are not confined to severe winter storms. In fact, these failures occur on a daily and even hourly basis. During the summer months, wind tends to die down in the afternoons, causing large drops in wind-generated electricity. Later afternoon rain storms can reduce solar generation significantly.”

Texas is blessed with mineral and natural resources. Texas is the largest crude oil and natural gas producer in the US. It would be the world’s 4th largest producer if Texas were a country.

For reasons of politics and government intervention over a quarter-century, Texas is the largest wind power producer and second-largest solar producer in the U.S. and will likely surpass California, the leading solar power state, within a year.…

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Dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act! (CEI letter to Congress)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 17, 2023

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) has been a consistent voice for classical liberalism in energy and climate for several decades. CEI stays scholarly on the intellectual front (thank Marlo Lewis et al.) and activist on the policy front. The latest from the lean, pound-for-pound, heavy hitting think tank (letter of August 16, 2023) follows:

Dear Members of Congress:

On the first anniversary of enactment of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the undersigned organizations strongly urge you to ensure that the IRA’s Green New Deal-type policies quickly come to an end.

We recognize that in the next year complete repeal of the IRA’s harmful energy and environmental provisions is unlikely. However, clear and tangible legislative changes that make genuine progress towards that goal are realistic and expected.

IRA proponents will today be celebrating the bill’s passage.…

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Plant Vogtle (Georgia Power): What Now?

By Jim Clarkson -- August 16, 2023

Ed. Note: The following filing with the Georgia Public Service Commission by Jim Clarkson and Resource Supply Management is reprinted below. In the Matter of: Docket No. 29849 Georgia Power Company’s Twenty Fourth Construction Monitoring Report for Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4)

 It has been clear for some time this Commission will support substantial rate increases for Georgia Power. Over the next two years it is estimated that the Company will seek about a $1 billion in new revenue with even more to follow as the Vogtle unit 4 comes online.
            Now that the first case of Vogtle recovery of capital and associated costs has begun, we offer our advice which has been ignored during the construction cases. There are ways to provide to least some relief to ratepayers.…

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King Coal Outdistancing Wind/Solar/Hydro/Other Renewables

By Kennedy Maize -- August 15, 2023
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Energy and Environmental Review: August 14, 2023

By -- August 14, 2023
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Climate Crazy? Andrew Griffiths’ “Ecocide” Threat

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 10, 2023
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Notes: 1998 Enron Meeting on Climate Change

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 9, 2023
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Did DOE “flip the bird” to the DC Circuit?

By -- August 8, 2023
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Call to Action: Rod Guice to the Society of Petroleum Engineers

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 7, 2023
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EVs in the 1990s

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- August 6, 2023
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