Energy
Germany and Great Britain are further along the “green energy” path than we are. On Friday, September 14, just before 10am, Britain’s 3,500 wind turbines broke all records by briefly supplying just over four gigawatts (GW) of electricity to the national grid. Three hours later, in Germany, that country’s 23,000 wind turbines and millions of…
First, let’s be clear about the economics of publicly backed wind turbines: The appearance of profit is only possible because the start-up costs are heavily subsidized and the expensive nature of the energy production is hidden by being spread out to all consumers, typically via mandated rates. So, the $400,000 that the town of Portsmouth…
From today’s Telegraph (U.K.). Despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats, who strongly support more renewable energy, the subsidy regime for onshore wind and solar panels is now firmly expected to be phased out by the end of the decade. A senior Conservative source said: “This is now very much the direction of travel.” At present,…
From CBS News: CBS News counted 12 clean energy companies that are having trouble after collectively being approved for more than $6.5 billion in federal assistance. Five have filed for bankruptcy: The junk bond-rated Beacon, Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, AES’ subsidiary Eastern Energy and Solyndra. Government doesn’t do a good job of picking winners. Even if–or…
Rhode Island had to have a speculative wind project. The General Assembly and former Governor Don Carcieri effectively castrated the regulatory body that oversees energy policy and forced through the Deepwater Wind agreement that will raise energy costs for all Rhode Islanders in order to guarantee the company profits. Of course, those who use more…
Like the ProJo, I’ve actually supported the idea of having an LNG terminal somewhere in the region. But their latest attempt to boost the idea by editorializing against “fracking” of natural gas in shale deposits is misinformed and relies too much on a much criticized, recent NY Times investigative piece. For instance, as the ProJo…
Lacking the time to thoroughly confirm Benjamin Riggs’s claims, I offer them here mainly as a point of interest: Wind-turbine projects threaten the already fragile Rhode Island economy with extreme utility-rate increases that will hurt consumers and keep manufacturing businesses from expanding or locating here. Land-based wind turbines depend on subsidies at a rate of…
File this — from a story concerning legal challenges to the deal that Rhode Island has constructed for Deepwater Wind and National Grid — under “I’ll bet”: “It was really impressive the range of support it had,” said Jerry Elmer, staff attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation, who lobbied in favor of the law. “I…
The latest development in the proposed Deepwater Wind farm confirms yet again that wind power is a complete non-starter. Deepwater Wind has offered to sell power to Long Island from a 200-turbine offshore wind farm proposed in Rhode Island Sound at a price far cheaper than what the company would charge Rhode Islanders for electricity…
Strap in; it’s a roller coaster ride. High gasoline and oil prices are bad. Obama, speaking at a San Francisco event for donors, called rising gasoline prices an economic drain on drivers and said curbing oil reliance is a “national security imperative.” High gasoline and oil prices (if they are gradual) are good. I think…
