The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).

A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.

Some of the more insightful articles in this issue are:

Study: $40± Million in Property Value Loss due to Wind Project

Study: 80%± Reduction in Tourism due to Turbines

Study: Energy Policy and Electricity Prices

Study: Is Renewable Energy Sustainable?…

“1) Do you support ending all energy subsidies, including cleaning up the tax code to treat all types of energy the same?  

A: Yes, I support a true all-of-the-above approach to energy, ending all energy subsidies and mandates so that all energy sources compete on an even playing field.”

Back in 2014, the new Texas Senator Ted Cruz [with Jim Bridenstine (R-Ok)] introduced the American Energy Renaissance Act of 2014, which I reviewed at MasterResource under the title, “Going on Offense: The American Energy Renaissance Act of 2014 (Cruz, Bridenstine set tone for post-Obama world).” This bill was easily the most free market, libertarian proposal I have seen in many decades, and perhaps ever. Not that it was/is perfect, but it is plenty good.

What does the presidential candidate have to say in 2016?…

“The media tries to glamorize solar power rather than doing a professional job of reporting the obvious story and what’s behind the story.”

A recent news story trumpeted an announcement from the Air University at Mawwell Airforce Base about power from space.

A team from the Air University has proposed installing PV solar panels in space to capture the energy from the sun and transmit it to Earth. The team is in line to receive a $10 million grant from the Department of Defense for the team’s proposal, “Carbon-Free Energy for Global Resilience and International Goodwill.”

The news story didn’t explain why this proposal was any different from those made over a decade ago. Just a lot of hyperbole, such as this lead:

Sci-fi isn’t all fiction anymore. Harnessing the power in outer space is closer than we think, and in just a few years, electrical energy from the sun could be beamed down to charge the smartphone in your pocket.

“The potential for traditional geothermal power plants is limited by the scarcity of areas in the United States where geothermal energy is available, and by the diminishing supply of water as the geothermal resources age. In California, waste water has been used to augment the natural supply of water.”

Electricity has been produced successfully from geothermal sources for decades. The first successful geothermal power plant dates at least from 1911 in Larderello, Italy.

Today, in the United States, there are successful geothermal power plants in California and in Nevada.

The potential for traditional geothermal power plants is limited by the scarcity of areas in the United States where geothermal energy is present, much less commercial, and by the diminishing supplies as geothermal resources age. In California, waste water has been used to augment the natural supply of water.…