Happy Valentines Day, everyone. Here is an article I wrote three years ago that appeared in USA Today that is right for the occasion. With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, Americans naturally…
Isaac Orr talks energy policy in Minnesota in the wake of the polar vortex. Click on the link to access the episode.
On Tuesday, I was in St. Paul to testify on House File 700, which would increase Minnesota’s renewable energy mandate to 55 percent renewable by 2030, and 80 percent renewable…
The article below is from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Today in Energy series. It was published in October of 2014, but it reinforces the points I made earlier this…
The following article originally appeared in the Financial Times: Does it make any sense to build nuclear plants in Britain? Not obviously, unless you are an atomic evangelist. In recent…
The Star Tribune recently ran an opinion piece by James Lenfestey, who advocated for an increase in the gas tax to finance infrastructure improvements and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,…
The Star Tribune has published an opinion piece I wrote on how Minnesota's bitter cold should be a wake-up call for energy policy in our state. Instead of mandating the…
The short, 20-year lifespan of wind turbines is one of the most important, but least talked about facets, aspects of energy policy. American Experiment has written about this topic several…
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…
Despite being the beneficiaries of billions of dollars in subsidies, wind and solar compose just a tiny fraction of overall energy use in the United States. The pie chart below…
Did you know that the Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA), Minnesota's law that requires the state to obtain 25 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, explicitly prohibits counting…
We at American Experiment often write about how wind and solar energy cause nearly every aspect of the energy grid to be more expensive, but one aspect of this story…
I have a bike trainer in my basement, which is basically a machine that allows you to turn your bike into an exercise bike. As I was riding it the…
The Star Tribune recently ran an article called “Complicated economics of community solar gardens subject of debate.” Seeing how the Strib did not seek our opinion on the topic for…
Happy Festivus, Everyone! In case you’re unfamiliar, Festivus is perhaps the holiest day of the year, where family members gather around an unadorned aluminum pole and air their grievances with…
A lot of people I talk to about renewable energy in Minnesota think of Germany as a great example what we should be doing here. Green groups in the U.S.…
Generating electricity with natural gas is far more expensive than generating electricity with coal at current gas prices. In fact, natural gas prices must remain below $2.92/mmbtu at a combined…
The Minnesota Department of Commerce released a study on Tuesday saying that electric and natural gas utilities could continue to meet their current efficiency mandates, but that it will become…
Yesterday, Xcel Energy announced it is committing to go 100 percent "carbon free" by the year 2050 across the eight Western and Midwestern states where they operate. Unfortunately, Xcel's ratepayers…
Utility Dive, a website that covers the ongoings of the electric utility industry, has named Xcel Energy the Utility of the Year for 2018, commending the company for retiring coal-fired…
Thousands of Yellow Vest protesters in France continue to protest over the climate taxes imposed by French President Emmanuel Macron that will initially lead to a 30 cent increase in…
In its most recent annual securities and exchanges report to investors, Xcel admitted exactly what American Experiment has been saying for years – that renewable energy sources increase electricity rates, create energy grids with excess and idle capacity, and…
In Canada, pressure against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax is mounting, as Manitoba did a sudden about-face on its intention to impose a $25-per-tonne carbon price this fall. The Canadian…
Diesel prices in France have skyrocketed more than 23 percent over the last 12 months and French motorists already spend more than $7.00 per gallon, USD. Despite these enormous costs, French…