Lori Sturdevant wrote an editorial in the Star Tribune last weekend about how Republican lawmakers should embrace "clean energy" or face certain disaster at the polls in the 2020 elections. Taking this advice, however, would be a "no-no" for four main reasons...
Continue reading
Oil imports from OPEC countries have reached their lowest level in 30 years, but it's not because of wind and solar. It's because of American oil producers ramping up production using a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. As you can see, oil imports from OPEC nations like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have declined precipitously since 2008, when the revolution in oil and natural gas production began to find its stride. Since that time, the United States has become the largest producer of both oil and natural gas in the world. OPEC's declining importance to America's energy...
Continue reading
Earlier this year, American Experiment reported that North Dakota has an enormous war chest of $5 million on stand-by ready to sue Minnesota over regulations passed in our state regulating CO2 emissions. North Dakota has argued in the past and will continue to make the case that any policy passed in Minnesota regulating emissions coming from electricity generation will directly impact North Dakota utilities, as well, in violation of the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. As mentioned in the article above, Minnesota lost a recent court case in 2014 regarding provisions within the state’s Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA). These provisions would...
Continue reading
New U.S. Department of Energy study shows Pueblo, the State of Colorado, and Colorado ratepayers could have benefited more from not retiring Comanche I & II early June 20, 2019 (Pueblo, Colo.) – A study released today by the U.S. Department of Energy showed the economic benefits that would have accrued to Pueblo, Colo. had Xcel not pushed to retire Comanche I & II early and used carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology instead. According to the study, Colorado was identified as an ideal location because it currently has existing natural CO2 resources as well as pipeline infrastructure that is used to transport CO2 to...
Continue reading
Yesterday the Trump administration finalized the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which is designed to improve efficiency at coal-fired power plants. As a result, these plants would produce more electricity while at the same time burning less coal. These efficiency improvements would reduce emissions and result in lower costs for consumers. In fact, American Experiment's recent report Doubling Down on Failure, is unique because it is the only report in the country, that I am aware of, to calculate the potential economic benefits of the ACE rule on a state's economy. Our research found that upgrading Minnesota's coal plants to meet...
Continue reading
If Minnesota lawmakers were concerned with Minnesota ratepayers in the slightest, Trump’s new ACE rule would be cause for celebration....
Continue reading
President Trump's ACE rule would save each Minnesota household nearly $1,300 every single year compared to a grid that is heavily dependent upon intermittent wind and solar. Make sure to thank him on Twitter! ...
Continue reading
Summer time and the living isn't easy, at least not in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's world. The latest edition of the state agency's "Living Green 365" newsletter warns that ordinary summer activities many Minnesotans have enjoyed all their lives are actually bad for the environment. These festivals and fairs are valuable and fun experiences, but can have a significant environmental impact, from the transportation it takes to get there, the amount of waste festivals produce, the energy it takes to power the festivals, and much more. The good news from our state pollution controllers is that you can take steps to...
Continue reading
Last week, Kentucky regulators ruled that electric vehicle charging stations were not considered utilities under state law, according to Utility Dive. In doing so, Kentucky joins Iowa, Vermont and California in determining that chargers do not provide a public service in the same way that other electric services do. This makes sense, because owning an electric car is a luxury item. The graph below from the Energy Information Administration shows most electric car owners make more than $100,000. Not surprisingly, most of the household that own electric cars also have a regular car. Therefore, the argument that electric car chargers are a vital public...
Continue reading
Mortenson Construction is one of the largest renewable-energy construction firms in the country, but it appears the firm will be dolling out less "green" to their laborers. A recent story in the Star Tribune discusses how Mortenson will be employing remote-controlled bulldozers to prepare sites for wind turbines instead of hiring laborers to man the machines. The remote-controlled bulldozers will be first be employed on remote projects in Wyoming where worker housing and other logistical difficulties make automation economically attractive, but there's no reason to think it would be impossible for the company to begin using automated equipment in other areas...
Continue reading