“This is the doleful legacy of Reaganism. We have become a nation that believes that you can get something for nothing. We thought that the energy crisis would be solved . . . somehow, and that no one would have to suffer….”

“Somewhere in his peripatetic travels, the much-maligned Jimmy Carter — an artless politician, to be sure — must scratch his head at the reverence still accorded Reagan. The way things are going, the Gipper’s visage will be added to Mount Rushmore. Not that anyone will notice. It’ll be too expensive to drive there.”

– Richard Cohen, “Wish Upon A Pump.” Washington Post, July 8, 2008. Quoted in Joe Romm, “Who Got Us in this Energy Mess? Start with Ronald Reagan.” Climate Progress.

A feature of MasterResource is chronicling the failed analyses and prognostications of the Energy Statist School, those who subscribe to chronic, global market failure and forced transformation away from consumer-chosen energies.…

“No more thousand-page ‘Technical Resource Documents’; those are too heavy to lift, let alone read. No more ‘too big and too expensive to analyze’ proprietary models and data bases that take a team of computer scientists to maintain and operate. No more ‘too big to sue’ tactics of intimidation of anyone who dares to challenge DOE’s ‘energy efficiency’ hegemony.”

Part I yesterday summarized the June 10th hearing from the major presenters. Part II today presents the highlights of the remaining assorted written comments where they provide additional insights not specifically covered above:

1. Joint comments by the National Multifamily Housing Council, National Apartment Association and National Leased Housing Association

These comments focused on DOE’s shortcomings in its ongoing efforts to ban non-condensing furnaces.  The following excerpt nails it.

“It is not possible, let alone cost-effective, to install a highly efficient condensing furnace.

“Over the years, there have been numerous iterations of more stringent minimum efficiency mandates for the most important appliances. Thus, the most economical ‘low hanging fruit’ has generally been picked clean with diminishing returns from continued picking.”

“Under the Obama Administration, DOE’s appliance energy efficiency oversight has been expanded far more than previous Administrations, from 15 appliance product categories to 60 product categories.”

Earlier this month, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy & Power held the above-named hearing. In all, it was much better than the usual lopsided infomercial under the guise of a hearing.  There was not time for all “stakeholders” to speak, but anyone could submit written testimony.

These were the witnesses:

• Joseph M. McGuire, President and CEO, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers;
• Kevin J.

“DOE and its environmental allies are trying their best bypass the adaptation of full fuel-cycle analyses through their jihad against carbon; which includes natural gas, or at least its direct use. Apparently, natural gas is still considered to be “clean,” but only if burned in electric power plants.”

MR:    Tell us about your interest in the energy efficiency debate from a natural gas perspective.

MEK: When I was a medic during Vietnam, I saw the crucial need for reliable and affordable energy in third-world countries I served in, such as vaccines for refrigeration.  So researched and became aware of the term “appropriate technologies,” and I began reading works by Dr. Ernst Friedrich “Fritz” Schumacher. One book was Small is Beautiful.

While Schumacher wasn’t exactly advocating free markets, his writings certainly endorsed free, locally directed, choices as opposed to the imposition of central government dictation of energy programs.…