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on May 21, 2019
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Exclusive: Tesla Expects Global Shortage of Electric Vehicle Battery Minerals – Sources

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

It never ceases to amaze me how special interest groups who push for more renewable energy also oppose mining for copper, nickel, and cobalt in Minnesota. These sources of energy require enormous amounts of materials, but where will they come from if not Minnesota? Countries with few, if any, protections for the environment or miners. Some "environmental justice," eh? The following article originally appeared in Reuters:  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tesla Inc expects global shortages of nickel, copper and other electric-vehicle battery minerals down the road due to underinvestment in the mining sector, the company’s global supply manager for battery metals told an industry conference...

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on May 20, 2019
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A Climate-Change Drubbing in Australia

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

A recent CNN poll showed that climate change was the number one issue for likely Democratic voters, but this trend runs counter to movements sweeping the globe where policies to support expensive renewable energy resources are facing harsh backlash for increasing energy prices. These movements can be seen in France, Canada, and Australia, where the elections last weekend were a resounding defeat for the political parties pushing for more wind and solar. This trend is common throughout the world. Political support for wind and solar is initially high because people think these sources of electricity are "free" because there is no fuel costs,...

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on May 20, 2019
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Batteries Cannot Make Renewables Reliable

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

This article was written by David Wojick and originally published by a Committee for a Construction Tomorrow (CFACT): Utilities are starting to experiment with adding batteries to wind and solar projects. These storage projects are feeding the mistaken belief that batteries can cure the intermittency that makes wind and solar unworkable as a reliable source of power. The reality is that these battery projects are trivial in size compared to what would actually be needed to make wind or solar reliable. The cost of battery based reliability would actually be stupendous, far more than we could ever afford. Here are some simple numbers...

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on May 19, 2019
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How Well Do Electric Vehicles Perform in Our Extreme Weather?

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

The practicality of electric vehicles is an important issue, especially in a Northern climate. It is well known that cold temperatures impact battery performance, and batteries are the Achilles heel of electric vehicles. The Minneapolis Star Tribune explains some of the problems. Cold weather degrades the performance of electric vehicles, in part because energy must be diverted to warm the interior of the car. The Strip cites a AAA study that found that even relatively moderate cold (by Minnesota standards) has a severe effect on battery performance: A recent study by AAA found that electric vehicle owners can expect their driving range...

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on May 18, 2019
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In the Tank (EP 191) Chernobyl! Loan Shark Prevention, and GoT’s Libertarian Ending?

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

Hello! In the first segment, Donald gives his initial reactions to HBO's new miniseries, Chernobyl. As Donald describes, the show is presents the events of Chernobyl in an absolutely horrifying manner. The series will surely evoke fear of this important energy source. To counter the inevitable fear that will result from the show, Donald talks about several articles authored by Michael Shellenberger, president of Environmental Progress. Shellenberger's articles reveal the truth about the inherent safety of nuclear power. In the next segment, they talk about the newly proposed Loan Shark Prevention Act that would set a 15% cap on interest in the...

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on May 18, 2019
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Fresh Energy Is Still Intentionally Misleading Minnesotans on Energy Issues: Part Six – How Decoupling Will Make Things Worse For Ratepayers

Written by Mitchell Rolling
in Energy

If you use less electricity, you should pay less on electric bills. Right?Unfortunately in Minnesota, that’s not the case, as electricity bills have increased by 8 percent even though we consume 10 percent less electricity than we did in 2007, and it will only get worse if “decoupling” becomes standard policy....

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on May 17, 2019
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DFL Senator From Iron Range Signals He Won’t Support Carbon-Free Power Mandates At This Time

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

It's a great day for Minnesota families and businesses, as Senator Erik Simonson (DFL-Duluth) stated that he believes that provisions of the House Energy and Jobs omnibus bill that would mandate that Minnesota derive 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 should be left out of the current budget negotiations and reconsidered at a later date. What makes this statement so remarkable is that it was completely unprompted. In fact, the discussion previous to his comments about increasing renewable energy mandates were about the Line 3 oil pipeline. After making an initial comment about the pipeline, Senator Simonson...

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on May 16, 2019
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North Dakota Has $5 Million War Chest To Sue Minnesota Over Energy Issues

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

It looks like the State of North Dakota is poised to take Minnesota back out behind the woodshed again (legally speaking) if it enacts legislation that would mandate the use of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050, which has been supported by the Walz administration and several DFL members of the House of Representatives this session. According to Senator Pratt, North Dakota has a massive $5 million war chest ready to sue the state of Minnesota once again over emission regulations that would violate the Commerce Clause of the Constitution  or violate other federal laws by effectively allowing Minnesota to regulate...

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on May 16, 2019
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Fresh Energy Is Still Intentionally Misleading Minnesotans on Energy Issues: Part Four – Why Energy Efficiency Won’t Save You Money

Written by Isaac Orr and Mitchell Rolling
in Energy

Fresh Energy, a renewable energy advocacy organization, continues to mislead Minnesotan’s on energy issues – and it appears they don’t appreciate our work explaining how wind and solar are driving up the cost of electricity in our state. In their latest critique of American Experiment, Fresh Energy made multiple attempts to inaccurately portray our organization as not understanding how electric rates work, while arguing that wind and solar are the cheapest sources of electricity in our state and a boon to job creation. Each of these claims is demonstrably false. The article below is the fourth in a series of articles that will...

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