Ed. Note: This post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, a free fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete Newsletter for this post can be found here.

Unreliables (General):
*** US counties are blocking wind and solar energy: These maps, graphics show how
*** The American revolt against green energy has begun
*** Blackouts, Here We Come
Out Of Transmission Revisited
Planning for climate blackouts

Wind Energy:
*** Taking the Wind Out of Climate Change (referencing 60± studies)
*** A Blow to Big Wind?
*** Hurricane Threats to Ocean Wind Turbines

Nuclear Energy:
*** U.S. Seeks to Boost Nuclear Power After Decades of Inertia
*** The Role of Nuclear in the Global World of Energy
*** On Radiation: Nuclear energy myths versus facts

Fossil Fuel Energy:
*** Biden liquefied natural gas export ‘pause’ hurts Americans and our allies
*** Chinese Control Over U.S.…

“The green movement calls for a shutdown of coal and gas power plants. At the same time, it demands a switch to electric vehicles, electric home appliances, and green hydrogen produced by power-intensive electrolyzers. This and the AI revolution portend a breakdown of the so-called energy transition.”

Twenty-three states have adopted goals to move to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. State governments propose to retire coal- and gas-fired power plants and adopt wind and solar systems. But these goals conflict with efforts to promote electric vehicles (EVs), electric appliances, and a new application (AI) that will increase the demand for electric power.

The green energy push seeks to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions to fight human-caused global warming. Leaders tell us that without a complete transformation of electric power, transportation, and home appliances to achieve Net Zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, we are doomed to suffer from increasingly severe climate change impacts.…

“Diesel trucks can travel about 1,200 miles after filling the tank in 15 minutes; the range of electric trucks is about 150-330 miles, and recharging takes hours. Electric truck cabs cost two-to-three times as much as diesel cabs and weigh about 10,000 pounds more than comparable diesel versions, reducing net freight carried by as much as 20 percent.”

Earlier this year, California passed regulations that would turn the trucking industry upside down. Zero emission mandates would disrupt the industry, raise shipping costs, and put trucking companies out of business. A group including 19 states and several trucking organizations recently filed suit to block the California regulation.

Background

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation goes into effect on January 1, 2024. The ACF requires that truck operators buy only Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) trucks for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucking operations as early as January 2024.…

“Hydrogen from electrolysis, called green hydrogen, typically costs more than $5 per kilogram, or more than five times the price when produced from natural gas.”

“The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act offers an astounding subsidy of $3 to produce a kilogram of green hydrogen, three times the market price. Imagine a subsidy of $150,000 to purchase a $50,000 electric car or a subsidy of $12 to produce a $4 gallon of gasoline. There appears to be no end to the cash governments will pay to try to establish a hydrogen economy.”

World leaders tout “green hydrogen” as an essential fuel in the renewable energy transition. Today, heavy industries use huge amounts of coal and natural gas to produce products needed by society. Governments propose to replace hydrocarbon fuels with hydrogen fuel, using hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies.…