coal

26Sep

Charting a Replicable Path Forward

U.N. Climate Week has delivered no shortage of rhetoric and theatrics, but not nearly enough focus on energy reality and replicable solutions. Amid the summit, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released its International Energy Outlook, projecting that global energy consumption is expected to increase 50 percent by midcentury as the global population surges towards 10 billion. […]
11Sep

Restore Competition to Electricity Markets

Are renewable sources of power ready to stand on their own two feet? Ask wind and solar boosters and the answer would seemingly be yes. The story we’re being told is that after decades of government support, wind and solar projects are now cost-competitive with traditional sources of power. Except when they’re not. Curiously, these […]
31Jul

Grappling with the Global Challenge

As the great climate debate continues to dominate the news – Green New Deal? Green Real Deal? The Green Dream? – more policymakers need to wake up to the reality that any effective emissions reduction strategy must be globally replicable. Policy, and most importantly technology, must be advanced that can effectively slash emissions in the […]
12Jun

A Roll of the Dice

Jerry Jones, the enigmatic, billionaire, oil-man owner of the Dallas Cowboys just made a big bet on the future of natural gas. His gamble is a timely reminder that low prices and cheap energy don’t tend to stay that way. Predicting just when natural gas prices rise is anyone’s guess, but Jerry is rolling the […]
29May

The Real Energy Story in the U.K.

From the tone of the coverage announcing that the U.K. has gone more than 10 days without generating any electricity using coal, one would think Britain had singlehandedly turned the tide against rising global emissions. Renewable boosters and climate hawks have fallen over themselves in praise of this “accomplishment.” But what this fawning coverage has […]
15May

American Infrastructure Requires American Mining

Sound the trumpets, it’s infrastructure week again. While it remains anyone’s guess whether or not a bipartisan compromise can be brokered for a deal, the urgency for action on the nation’s crumbling infrastructure is greater than ever. The clock continues to tick. In 2017, the American Society for Civil Engineering released its most recent infrastructure […]
04Apr

A Clear Call for Action on Grid Reliability

Last Friday, Real Clear Politics hosted an event on the future of the U.S. electricity grid, or rather the challenge of maintaining grid reliability as the nation’s electricity mix undergoes dramatic change. The event, sponsored by NMA and America’s Power, brought together energy experts and officials on the frontline of the issue, including the Secretary […]
27Mar

New Report Reaffirms Electricity Markets Aren’t Adequately Valuing Reliability

A new study being pushed by renewables advocates deserves note – but not for the reason its backers claim. It is noteworthy in that it is the perfect example of just how dysfunctional our electricity markets actually are and how uninformed the energy debate has become. The study, titled “The Coal Cost Crossover,” suggests that […]
06Mar

A Most Vital Technology

What technology does Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), believe is “most vital” to reducing emissions? Wind or solar power? Nuclear energy or energy storage? It is, in fact, carbon capture. Mr. Birol made his remarks last week in a joint press conference with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Both are adamant […]
01Mar

A Warning Not to be Ignored

How valuable is a balanced, diverse mix of energy sources? Just ask the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the grid operator that manages the electricity grid for much of the U.S. Midwest and parts of Canada. When the polar vortex hammered the Midwest at the end of January, the grid weathered the storm, but it […]