on January 25, 2019

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Throwing Shade at the Solar Pathways Analysis: 70 Percent Solar and Wind Would Require We Build 6 to 11 More Capacity Than Nuclear Would Require: At a Massive Cost

Written by Isaac Orr

Renewable energy advocates have been trumpeting the findings of the Solar Pathways Analysis (SPA) that claims solar power can not only meet 70 percent of Minnesota's energy demand, but it can also do it affordably. However, this type of thinking requires a gold medal in mental gymnastics. It's time to throw some serious shade at the SPA for being a shoddy work of scholarship. For the purposes of this article, it's helpful to understand that a gigawatt (GW) is the equivalent of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and 1,000,000 kilowatts (kw). First off, the SPA says we can achieve a grid powered by 70 percent...

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on January 24, 2019

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Minnesota Utilities Spur Wind Turbine Building Boom…In North and South Dakota

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Renewable energy advocates in Minnesota claimed that mandating the use of wind for electricity generation would produce a boom in jobs and generate local tax revenue for rural Minnesota, but many of the large industrial wind facilities planned by the state's major utility companies are in North and South Dakota, sending these jobs and revenues out of state....

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on January 23, 2019

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MPCA Testimony: The Air Is Getting Cleaner

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) delivered a presentation to the Minnesota House of Representatives detailing the condition of the state's air. In what may be a surprise to many people, the air quality in Minnesota has improved significantly from 2003. According to an article reporting on the hearing: In a presentation about air quality, Kohlasch and Greta Gauthier, the PCA’s assistant commissioner of legislative and intergovernmental relations, said that the number of “bad air days” – when the air becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups -- is declining, while good days are mostly on the rise since...

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on January 22, 2019

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Center of the American Experiment Submits Comments Supporting Twin Metals Minnesota Mineral Lease Renewal

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Center of the American Experiment continues to support responsible mining in Minnesota by submitting public comments to the Bureau of Land Management urging them to renew the mineral leases for the Twin Metals Minnesota. These comments discuss the massive economic benefits expanded mining would bring to Minnesota, discuss the myriad shortcomings in the letter written to the U.S. Forest Service written by Harvard economist James Stock, and emphasizes the strong environmental track record of modern mines. You can read the comments at the link below....

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on January 21, 2019

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With Rise of Electric Vehicles, a New Foreign Energy Dependence Looms

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Self-identified environmentalists in Minnesota want to increase the adoption of wind, solar, and electric vehicles in our state, but they also generally oppose opening new mines in Minnesota that would help provide the copper, nickel, and cobalt that will be needed to actually build the wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars they profess to care so much about. [caption id="attachment_11096" align="aligncenter" width="748"] One 3-MW turbine contains. 335 tons of steel. 4.7 tons of copper. 1,200 tons of concrete (cement and aggregates) 3 tons of aluminum. 2 tons of rare earth elements. aluminum. zinc. molybdenum. (NW Mining Association)[/caption] Cobalt is an especially...

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on January 21, 2019

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Trump’s Energy Policies Bode Poorly for Putin

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Is Donald Trump in fact a Russian agent? In my opinion, the energy policies he's enacted make that implausible. President Trump is the exact opposite of his predecessor on energy policy. Where Obama sought to impede the production of American coal, oil, and natural gas, President Trump has sought to achieve "energy dominance" by approving the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines, several natural gas pipelines. leasing land for mineral exploration, lifting onerous Obama-era regulations on the electricity sector, and approving liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to ship American natural gas all over the world. These efforts have paid dividends, as...

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on January 20, 2019

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Minnesota Vikings Help Cover the Cost of Innagural Parties for Governor Walz

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Governor Tim Walz capped off his first week in office with an inaugural party in Minneapolis on Saturday, treating thousands of Minnesotans to a night of food and performances meant to highlight the state’s diversity and strengths, according to the Star Tribune. That's all well and fine. Politicians have parties to thank supporters and volunteers after slogging through seemingly-endless campaign season, and as long as taxpayers are not paying for it, go for it. But if we don't pay for it, someone else does. According to the Star Tribune: The party capped a week of ceremony and celebration for the administration. After being sworn in...

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on January 19, 2019

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Should Minnesota Require Rooftop Wind?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

California has mandated rooftop solar units be placed on every new home built in the Golden State. Given Minnesota winters aren't as conducive to rooftop solar as sunny California, should Governor Walz push for similar measures in Minnesota, only requiring rooftop wind turbines for new and existing homes? The short answer, obviously, is no. I've posted an article from engineering.com to demonstrate just how terrible such a mandate would be....

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on January 18, 2019

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Only Two Electric Cars Premiered At Detroit Auto Show

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Claims by environmental groups that electric cars would soon be flying off the shelves seem to have missed a key player in making that claim come true: automakers. Rather than a showcase featuring dozens of the leanest-cleanest electric cars on the market, only two plug-in cars were showcased, along with many more SUV's and gas guzzling trucks. The following article was published by the Associated Press: DETROIT (AP) — Automakers have promised to start selling hordes of electric cars in the next few years, but only two will be unveiled at the big Detroit auto show that kicks off this week — and...

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on January 17, 2019

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The World Is Getting Better, Declares Op-Eds in Leading Newspapers

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Despite all the doom and gloom among environmental activists, there is astoundingly little evidence to support their claims that the world is getting worse and worse all the time. The following article was featured at Reason.com. The human prospect is better than ever, declared a spate of op-eds as 2019 started. All I can say is: Welcome to the real world—I'm glad you guys have caught up. "The World Is Getting Quietly, Relentlessly Better," headlined TheWall Street Journal's economics commentator, Greg Ip. "Why 2018 Is the Best Year in Human History!" exclaimed New York Timescolumnist Nicholas Kristof. Washington Post columnist David Von Drehle warned: "Don't fall for...

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