on July 01, 2020

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A Conservative Vision for Energy Policy in Minnesota

Written by Isaac Orr

Last week, Ben Gerber, who is a board member for the Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum (MNCEF) took to the pages of The Minnesota Reformer, which is likely the most progressive outlet in the state, in an attempt to defend his positions on energy policy. In his article, which I encourage you to read, Mr. Gerber argues that MNCEF, and not Center of the American Experiment, is the group that opposes heavy-handed government solutions. But this claim is incorrect, as I spell out in my reply below. I am told may be run on the Reformer's website at some date in the future. The...

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on June 16, 2020

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Debunking the Minnesota “Conservative” Energy Forum’s Talking Points: Renewables Don’t Strengthen Our National Security, They Weaken It

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy

Most of the conservatives I know strongly believe in limited a government that is primarily focused on enforcing contracts and maintaining law and order. As a result, many conservatives care deeply about having a strong national security to protect the United States from potential threats. National security is often thought of in terms of military might. In this regard, the United States is unparalleled. However, energy is also an indispensable ingredient to keeping America safe, but unfortunately, the Minnesota "Conservative" Energy Forum's advocacy for more wind and solar power doesn't strengthen America's national security, it weakens it. This article is the fourth in...

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on June 15, 2020

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Debunking the Minnesota “Conservative” Energy Forum’s “Cleaner and Cheaper” Talking Points: How Clean Are Renewables, Really?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Last week we discussed why the Minnesota "Conservative" Energy Forum's (MNCEF) claim that wind and solar are "cleaner and cheaper" than traditional energy resources like coal, natural gas, and nuclear power is a fraudulent talking point from an economic perspective. Today, we'll examine why wind and solar aren't the environmentally consequence-free energy sources they're often touted as, and discuss better ways to take care of Minnesota's environment for future generations. This article is the third in a series explaining how the Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum is intentionally misleading Minnesota conservatives on energy issues. Everything Has An Impact on the Environment, Even Wind...

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on June 12, 2020

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Why the Minnesota “Conservative” Energy Forum’s “Cleaner and Cheaper” Slogan is a Fraudulent Talking Point

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Minnesota "Conservative" Energy Forum received nearly 86 percent its funding from the liberal Energy Foundation in 2017, the most recent year for which data are available. While this should raise big red flags for Minnesota conservatives, the policies that MNCEF advocates for are ultimately far more important than where they get their funding. Unfortunately, MNCEF uses this money to try and convince conservative Minnesotans that renewable energy sources like wind and solar are "cleaner and cheaper" than traditional energy sources like coal, natural gas, and nuclear power, even though wind and solar are far more...

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on June 04, 2020

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By Delaying Line 3 Replacement, Again, The Walz Administration is Flagrantly Ignoring “The Science”

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Governor Walz loves to pretend that scientific evidence is the primary driver for the decisions he makes in St. Paul, but his actions show otherwise. In reality, Walz's mantra of "following the science"is just a thinly-veiled smokescreen for doing whatever he wanted to do anyway to serve his own purposes. Line 3 is a perfect example....

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on June 01, 2020

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ECO Act Could Increase Your Winter Heating Bill

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Many Minnesotans are still reeling from the unrest that has enveloped the state for the last week. However, it appears the gears of government continue to churn. This Thursday, the Minnesota State Senate is scheduled to hold a hearing on the controversial ECO Act, which would make changes to the state's energy efficiency program, called the Conservation Improvement Program, or CIP. Like any legislation, the ECO Act has positive aspects, like it's removal of mandatory spending provisions, but is also has a number troubling liberal environmental wish-list action items that should be stripped from the bill. Among these liberal action items...

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on May 27, 2020

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Michael Moore’s Planet of the Humans Removed Due to Alleged Copyright Infringment

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

Michael Moore's documentary, Planet of the Humans, was removed from YouTube yesterday amidst allegations that some of the footage shown in the film infringed on copyrights. At the time of it's removal, the film had garnered more than 8 million views. The renewable energy industry has been calling for the film to be removed from the platform since the day it was released. These groups made several inaccurate claims about the contents of the film, and while there were some errors in Planet of the Humans, by and large it did a good job of articulating the fact that wind and solar also have impacts...

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on April 10, 2020

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Forbes: To Fight The Coronavirus, The World Returns To Fossil Fuels

Written by Isaac Orr

in Coronavirus, Energy, Environment

The article below appeared in Forbes, and it does a good job of summarizing how many of the policies advocated by environmental activists harm human safety in times like the Coronavirus outbreak. Ideas like banning single-use plastic bags in favor of forcing people to use resusable bags may sound good on a bumper sticker, but the science, indicates these policies leave people at greater health risks by facilitating the spread of pathogens. Ditto for energy. Even putting cost aside, which is an enormous aside, the idea that wind, solar, and battery storage alone will be able to deliver the same degree of reliability that...

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on April 02, 2020

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Walz Wisely Designates Oil and Natural Gas Pipelines as “Essential Operations” During COVID-19 Shutdown

Written by Isaac Orr

in Coronavirus, Energy, Environment

COVID-19 continues to dominate the state and national conversation, and more jurisdictions are issuing Shelter in Place orders to try and slow the spread of the virus to buy time for healthcare providers to prepare for the peak caseload. These orders have required the closure of businesses that have been deemed non-essential. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is to be commended for recognizing the importance that oil and natural gas pipelines play in the everyday lives of all Minnesotans, and all Americans, by deeming them to be essential. The map below shows the extensive network of energy pipelines operating in the state....

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on April 01, 2020

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What Would a Joe Biden Fracking Ban Look Like? Part Seven: Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment

During the Democrat debate between Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice-President Joe Biden on Sunday, March 15, 2020, Vice-President Biden stated that he would allow “no new fracking” as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, banning fracking would cause greenhouse gas emissions from Minnesota power plants to increase by approximately 25 percent above estimated 2019 levels. Greenhouse gas emissions would increase because a fracking ban would triple the cost of generating electricity with natural gas, making it impossibly expensive to use. As a result, Minnesota utilities would likely return to burning more coal to generate electricity, which emits...

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