“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” -H. L. Mencken The popular level discussion of climate and energy policy often oversimplifies renewables to the point of parody. Many well-meaning, educated, and intelligent people believe renewables will solve global climate issues, power the…
In 2013, wind and solar power combined to produce less than 5 percent of all U.S. utility-scale electricity. In 2022, that number was 13.6 percent. Renewable energy sources are expected to make up at least 33 percent of all U.S. power generation by 2030 without major changes to energy policy….
In the United States, the conversation around decarbonization generally centers around the same handful of options. In large part, the policy approaches include tax, subsidy, grants, or favorable regulatory emphasis. The technological and industrial tools for decarbonization often include wind and solar as the popular energy generators, batteries as the…
An Artificial Energy Crisis President Joe Biden said this week that “It’s simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production.” He went on to cite onshore production statistics, comparing them to President Donald Trump’s first year in office, and stating that thousands of…
The current push to electrify the U.S. transportation sector along with homes and businesses means that massive amounts of raw material will be needed to build out a more robust and smarter grid, deploy new renewable technology, and facilitate power storage. This electrified future that many long for will require…
If Gregory House, MD has taught us anything it is that people lie and people have bias. On a topic as politically charged as climate change, we can chalk lies up to rhetoric and framing of an issue. But the more interesting and pertinent issue is bias. When starting a…
Our 3.8 million square-mile nation uses its space for a lot of purposes. About 50 percent of U.S. land is used for agriculture. Roads run for over 4 million miles across the country. Forests occupy nearly 300,000 square miles. But this vast and dynamic country requires abundant energy to…
– formerly Global Warming – is as controversial as any topic in politics today. As wildfires rage, sea ice melts, droughts appear, storms batter the coasts, and temperatures climb, it is easy to see climate change as the controlling factor lurking behind it all. How then, can some people…
Wind energy is often harnessed in large fields and land across the U.S. and around the world. What about offshore wind energy? What if we used the ocean and waterways to expand where we collect wind and take advantage of coastal winds? Would it be an eyesore or harm wildlife?…
The further you may be from the electrical grid, the more likely it is that you recognize the importance of energy storage. If you have access to abundant, reliable energy, then consider how far you would travel without a cell phone battery pack. An extra battery allows you to turn…
Environmentalists and activists on the further reaches of the green movement occasionally go as far as to say ‘leave all fossil fuels in the ground.’ While a legitimate fear of climate change may make this view understandable, it is ultimately misguided. Modern life unequivocally requires fossil fuels, but that doesn’t…
