on May 19, 2020

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Todd Myers: The Coronavirus Lockdown Has Not Made the Air Cleaner

Written by Isaac Orr

A few weeks ago I wrote about how the Coronavirus shutdown had not resulted in lower levels of particulate matter in the Twin Cities despite a dramatic downturn in daily car traffic. I got the idea to write that article from my friend, Todd Myers, who is the director of environmental policy at the Washington Policy Center. He recently wrote another article on the subject that was published in the National Review. You can read that article below. The Coronavirus Lockdown Has Not Made the Air Cleaner- Why are so many activists saying so anyway? Just about every day, someone claims that the air...

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on May 18, 2020

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At 32 Years Old, I’ve Lasted More Than 1.5 Times Longer Than Most Wind Turbines

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Today is my 32nd birthday. That means so far, I've lasted more than 1.5 times longer than the 20 years useful lifespan of most wind turbines. The short useful lifetime of wind turbines and solar panels is one of the most important, but least-talked about aspects of energy policy. Many people think that once these sources of energy are built, they will provide "free" electricity indefinitely, but this is not anywhere near the reality that we have observed. In the real world, I'll likely outlive any wind turbine built before the year 2050, which is the year Governor Walz wants to have...

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on May 17, 2020

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Conservatives Should Say No To Proposed Fuel Switching Provisions of Conservation Improvement Program Bill

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

As this legislative session draws to a close, Minnesota lawmakers will be considering changes to the state’s Conservation Improvement Program (CIP). Among the changes considered are provisions that would allow the CIP program to fund fuel switching, which would allow utility companies to subsidize the switch from using natural gas to electricity in the case of home heating, or to subsidize the switch from conventional cars to electric cars. However, these changes will amount to government picking losers and increasing the cost of energy for Minnesota families and businesses who have already been battered by the economic fallout of the Coronavirus...

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on May 15, 2020

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Benjamin Zycher: Earth Day 2020: The Exhaustion of the Climate Left

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

The following article originally appeared in RealClearMarkets and was written by Benjamin Zycher: “Climate Action” is the theme of this 50th Earth Day, and it is useful to note that these five decades of apocalyptic warnings truly are amazing in their consistency: Not one actually has come to pass. The juxtaposition of two news stories, respectively from 1988 and from last January, is among the more amusing tidbits from decades of climate fearmongering. The former: “A gradual rise in sea level is threatening to completely cover” the Maldives. The latter: “Maldives to open four new airports in 2020.” Amusement aside, the theme this year is a clear sign...

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on May 14, 2020

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ACTION ALERT! Tell Your Legislator Clean Energy First Will Increase Electricity Prices and Could Kill 10,000 Jobs ASAP

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Nearly 670,000 Minnesotans have lost their jobs since March 16, 2020 due to the Coronavirus shutdown, and on Friday, May 15 at 8:30 AM, the Minnesota State Senate Finance Committee will be considering passing the Clean Energy First bill, which could destroy thousands more jobs by paving the way for more expensive and unreliable forms of energy like wind and solar. Center of the American Experiment’s analysis has found this legislation would cost nearly $46 billion through 2050, cause electricity prices to increase by 35 percent in areas served by Xcel Energy, and that these higher electricity prices could destroy more than...

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on May 14, 2020

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Rob Port Podcast: “The Plant is Worthless Without the Power Line.”

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Last week, Great River Energy (GRE) announced they would be shutting down the Coal Creek power plant decades before the end of the plant's useful life. This decision was confusing, because as far as coal plants go, Coal Creek is one of the most productive, and lowest-cost generators in the entire United States, according to S&P Global. GRE has claimed they are open to selling the plant, but have not found any buyers. It appears this is because GRE wants to keep the large, high voltage power line that transports the electricity generated in North Dakota to customers in Minnesota, but...

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on May 13, 2020

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How Does Minnesota Coal Use Stack Up Against China, the Whole United States?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Xcel Energy bombards the airwaves to inform us that they plan to generate 100 percent of their electricity with carbon free resources by 2050. To accomplish this goal, Xcel plans to prematurely retire their coal-fired power plants and replace them with weather-dependent resources like solar and wind. American Experiment's modeling has concluded this plan will cost each Minnesota household more than $1,200 per year, every year, through 2050. For such enormous costs, one would hope that closing our coal plants would have a significant environmental benefit, but a look at coal consumption data from China, the United States as a whole,...

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on May 12, 2020

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Washington Times: Harvard Quietly Backtracks on Air Pollution-Coronavirus Deaths Link

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

It appears a study that claimed to show an increase in Coronavirus deaths linked to small particulates is being walked back by Harvard University. The study originally claimed that higher levels of particulates have resulted in more COVID-19 deaths in the United States. This claim never made sense if one believes the death figures reported by the Chinese government. This is because if air quality were a major factor, one would assume that the the death rate would be much higher in heavily-polluted China, where the death rate is 58 people per 1 million of population, compared to the United States,...

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on May 11, 2020

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Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Closure Reliant Upon $105 Million in Taxpayer Subsidies Per Year

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Last week, Great River Energy (GRE), a large umbrella company for many of Minnesota's electric co-ops, announced they would be prematurely closing the Coal Creek power plant at the end of 2022 and replacing it with a mixture of wind power purchase contracts from 1,100 megawatts (MW) of newly-constructed wind projects, and buying electricity from other companies when the wind isn't blowing. GRE has said its will be a boon for its customers. However, this plan relies heavily on $105 million in annual federal tax subsidies, which simply shift the costs from Great River Energy's customers, to tax payers. In the...

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on May 04, 2020

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MPCA Gets It Right On Not Regulating Greenhouse Gases on Dairy Farm Expansion

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Center of the American Experiment has been reporting on a developing story where environmental activist groups like the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) and the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) are using the court system to attack Minnesota farmers. These groups have sued the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for not regulating greenhouse gas emissions from a dairy farm seeking to expand their operation in Southeastern Minnesota. Thankfully, MPCA delivered a decisive win for farmers when it determined that the dairy farm would not need to complete a time consuming and expensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the greenhouse gases that...

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