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on December 12, 2019
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100 Percent Wind+Solar+Batteries= $1,036.80 Monthly Electric Bill, According to An Xcel Energy Slide Show and EIA Data

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

In April of this year, Gov. Tim Walz's administration suggested the economics of nuclear power likely make it too expensive to be part of his plan to produce 100 percent of Minnesota’s electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050. Instead, the administration argued technological improvements would allow wind, solar, and battery storage technology to reliably and affordably meet Minnesota’s energy needs. A slide show produced by Xcel Energy suggests the Governor couldn't be more wrong. This slideshow was presented to the Midwestern Governor's Association meeting in March of 2019. One would assume someone from the Governor's office would be at the meeting, but just in...

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on October 22, 2019
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City Journal: Battery Derangement

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Governor Walz wants to impose California's low and zero emission vehicle (LEV and ZEV) regulations on Minnesotans through the bureaucratic rule making process. These rules would require car manufacturers to meet quotas for electric vehicle sales in order to sell gasoline and diesel powered cars in the state, essentially holding Minnesota's car market hostage until they sell enough money-losing cars. Luckily, the Trump Administration is seeking to revoke of California's ability to set their own emission standards for vehicles, which will make the Governor's attempt to impose west-coast mandates on Midwestern families moot. Electric vehicles are often touted as the future of...

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on September 12, 2019
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Clear Energy Alliance: Battery Fantasy

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment

Batteries are often touted as a magical technology that will suddenly make unreliable wind and solar, reliable. The idea is just the latest round of wishful thinking on behalf of renewable energy boosters, and someday in the future we'll look back at the "but batteries" argument and chuckle. I've already documented how just 24 hours of battery storage in Minnesota would cost $133 billion dollars, roughly one-third of Minnesota's annual gross state product, and it we would potentially need weeks of storage to tide the state over during the summer, when electricity demand is high but wind generation is low. Clear Energy Alliance discusses...

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on September 04, 2019
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There is No Holy Grail: Some Perspective on Battery Storage

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment

Today I wanted to share this graphic I found on a pro-nuclear Facebook page that really hammers home the point: we simply require far too much energy for wind, solar, and battery storage to ever be a viable, reliable source of electricity. If the folks who claim that climate change is an "existential crisis" were actually serious about reducing carbon dioxide emissions they would legalize new nuclear power and allow the electricity generated by hydropower that we already buy from Canada to count toward our "carbon free" goals. Instead, the DFL-lead house said these two proposals were non-starters. There is simply no...

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on April 23, 2019
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Star Tribune: Technology, Cost Could Hamper Efforts for 100 Percent Carbon-Free Grid in Minnesota by 2050

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

On April 20th, the Star Tribune ran a story entitled "Technology, Cost Could Hamper Efforts for 100 Percent Carbon-Free Grid in Minnesota by 2050." It was good to see the paper acknowledging that the policies proposed by Governor Walz and House DLF'ers will be expensive and the technology needed to attain this goal (without the use of nuclear and large hydro) does not exist. ...

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on March 10, 2019
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How Much Would One Day’s Worth of Battery Storage Cost Minnesota Households? $820 per Year, for 20 Years

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Last week I was on WCCO's program with Paul and Jordana, and we had a very spirited discussion. I'd highly encourage you to listen to the 12 minute interview if you have time. During the interview, I asked Paul what he planned to do when the wind wasn't blowing or sun wasn't shining, and he emphatically stated that batteries with large posteriors (he used other words, of course), would be up to the challenge of providing electricity when the weather did not cooperate with wind and solar generation, citing examples in Australia and California as evidence for his claim. For the sake...

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on August 06, 2018
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Connexus Squanders $31 Million on Solar Plus 2 Hours of Battery Storage

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy, Environment

Connexus Energy is building two electricity “storage” systems — solar-panel arrays connected to big batteries. Cheerleaders of solar plus storage have hailed this a victory for our state, but in reality, it's another expensive boondoggle for Minnesota families and businesses who will still rely on the grid for the vast majority of their electricity. Adding solar plus storage is just an expensive ornament on the grid that serves as a vanity project for people who fancy themselves to be "green."...

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