A Free-Market Energy Blog

‘Black Activists Oppose Shutdown of Line 5 Pipeline’ (Project 21 vs. DeSmog re environmental justice)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 10, 2022

“’Why would President Biden want to increase the misery of people already trying to keep up with the inflation he caused? It’s absurd that he wants to increase their misery by reducing the flow of oil into the Great Lakes region at the onset of winter,’ said Project 21 member Emery McClendon.”

Energy affordability, accessibility, and reliability is color-blind and income-sensitive. Wealthy persons can pay for home generators and drive or fly away from trouble. Poorer people are stuck in their circumstances. For the latter, energy-price setbacks mean budget cuts elsewhere.

This was the basic theme of a November 2021 press release by Project 21, “Biden Betrays ‘Environmental Justice’ Claims By Risking Energy Poverty” concerning the Biden Administration’s potential closure of Line 5, a dual Wisconsin-to-Canada-to-Michigan pipeline currently in operation.…

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Contra-Capitalism: A Business Syndrome

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 8, 2022

Business as a force for government intervention into the economy is evident with one of the major global economic issues of recent times, climate change. Wind companies, solar companies, energy-efficiency companies, carbon capture and storage investors, etc. Their bread is buttered by special government favor, whether a direct payment from the public treasury or a tax credit or a regulatory preference.

Rent-seeking by business is a contra-capitalist practice, long exposed and criticized by free market economists and classical liberals. But there are two other related practices that classical liberalism has long warned against and censored.

One concerns strategic deceit by a business to outside parties, whether stock analysts or direct investors. In the spirit of Ayn Rand, this can be called philosophic fraud. This syndrome is present with companies that are overhyped and desperately trying to keep the music going.…

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Wind will be Competitive! (Secretary Chu from 2011)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 6, 2022

“’Before maybe the end of this decade, I see wind and solar being cost-competitive without subsidy with new fossil fuel,’ Chu told an event at the Pew Charitable Trusts.” (below)

Energy history matters. In the marketplace, what energies performed and at what cost; in energy policy, who said what and when. In this regard, intermittent, dilute energies have a bad history.

Obama’s DOE Secretary Steven Chu has a ten-year anniversary of a statement that is now falsified. As reported by the American Security Project in “Wind, Solar Becoming Cost Competitive: Chu,”

Clean sources of energy such as wind and solar will be no more expensive than oil and gas projects by the end of the decade, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Wednesday.

President Barack Obama’s administration has been encouraging companies to invest in green growth, calling it a new source of jobs and fearing that other nations — led by China — are stealing the march.…

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Net Metering Rethink: Rooftop Solar in Trouble (a hidden subsidy in addition to ITC)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 5, 2022
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Plant Vogtle Went Backward in 2021 (can nuclear improve, become cost-effective)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 4, 2022
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Chris Holmes & Enron Environmental Services (father of Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes)

By Robert Bradley Jr. --
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Energy and Environmental Review: January 3, 2022

By -- January 3, 2022
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“The Top 10 Under-reported Climate Flops of 2021” (Steve Milloy ready for 2022!)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 28, 2021
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Happy Holidays from MasterResource

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 23, 2021
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Happy Holidays from the NYT (‘Lightscape’ trumps climate alarmism)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- December 22, 2021
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