polling

18May

As Natural Gas Prices Soar, a Plea for Energy Pragmatism

In the wake of stunning blackouts in California in August of 2020, California Assemblyman Jim Patterson said, “today we have a grid that is increasingly expensive, unreliable and unavailable when the people of California need it the most.” What Mr. Patterson didn’t know at the time is that his remark would soon describe nearly the […]
13Apr

The Consequence of Policy Conceived and Executed in a Vacuum

It would be difficult to find a country untouched by the global energy crisis. Here in the U.S. inflation has reached four-decade highs, driven in large part by skyrocketing energy prices. But some are managing it better than others, with the UK serving as a stark example of energy policy malpractice. The Brits have had […]
15Dec

Looking Back as We Begin to Look Forward

The year is coming to a close, but before we look forward to 2022, it’s worth looking back on 2021 and the moments and themes that have shaped how we think about coal and its future. Over the course of 2021, this blog has tried to offer insight and perspective on an energy conversation that […]
03Nov

Dismantling Energy Security During a Global Energy Crisis

One of the clear lessons of the ongoing global energy crisis is the danger posed by policy that limits supply of essential fuels while demand remains as strong as ever. Across the globe, policy-induced tight supplies of oil, natural gas and coal have left economies reeling and governments scrambling to provide consumers relief and shield […]
20Oct

Soaring Energy Prices are Threatening to Wreck Recovery

Americans are alarmed over the rising cost of energy. According to new polling from Morning Consult, 85% of Americans are concerned about rising energy prices, with 50% very concerned. This concern cuts across party lines, with 85% of Democrats concerned and 89% of Republicans. This soaring concern comes as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) warns […]
25Aug

Strong Majority of Americans Want a Plan to Preserve Grid Reliability

In the wake of headline-grabbing blackouts in California and Texas and all-too-regular electricity conservation warnings in states across the country, seventy-two percent of Americans are now concerned that the speed of the transition to variable sources of power is coming at the cost of grid reliability, according to new polling from Morning Consult. These concerns […]
03Mar

Dispatchable Fuel Diversity is Invaluable 

Does fuel diversity matter? Or, to put a finer point on it, does dispatchable fuel diversity matter? If February taught us anything, the answer is a resounding yes. Along with the Texas grid disaster, there were two neighboring grids pushed to the brink by the same unrelenting cold but both fared much better. The Southwest […]
28Oct

The Issue Remains Affordability

With less than a week to the election, it’s worth reminding the candidates – and ourselves – what voters really think about energy issues. Despite the rhetoric about energy mixes of the future or what will and will not be banned, the issue that matters most to voters is affordability. Time and again, in poll […]
06Aug

Eighty-Five Percent of Americans are Concerned by Rising Electricity Rates

The numbers couldn’t be clearer. In recent polling conducted by Morning Consult, an overwhelming majority of Americans – 85 percent of registered voters – expressed concern at rising electricity prices. According to the most recent Energy Information Administration data, the largest number of regulated utilities filed to change rates in 2018 since 1983. More Americans […]
29Jul

During this Election, Energy Affordability is a Crisis

A “tidal wave” of power shut-offs is looming over the nation as families struggle with mid-summer heat and the devastating financial effects of the pandemic. That is how NPR recently described a heartbreaking situation where millions of families are choosing between paying power bills and putting food on the table or buying essential medication. New […]