on February 17, 2020

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Real Clear Energy: Money & Power: New FOIA’d Documents Offer Ugly Candor About ‘Green Energy’

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

The article below was originally written by Chris Horner and it appeared at Real Clear Energy. I've added my own commentary within the text of the article below. "Recently, excerpts from notes taken at a meeting at the Rockefeller family mansion between activists, donors and political appointees emerged. They contain further revelations, beyond those first reported. These notes quote numerous, high-ranking political appointees from state government making quite clear that the costly lessons of scandalous Obama-era parade of high-profile and costly green energy boondoggles changed nothing. “Green energy” remains about money and power. As in keeping power, not generating it. The handwritten and typed notes...

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on December 03, 2019

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Reactions to Proposed Rate Increases Shows Minnesota Citizen’s Utility Board Cares More about Renewables Than Ratepayers

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

There is no reason for CUB to be more upset about Minnesota Power’s rate increase than Xcel Energy's. I submit that the reason CUB is less forgiving of Minnesota Power's smaller rate increase is that the organization cares about renewables first, and ratepayers second....

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on September 20, 2019

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Renewables Threaten German Economy & Energy Supply, McKinsey Warns In New Report

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and other lawmakers recently traveled to Germany to supposedly learn about Germany's "Energy Transition," and bring home useful lessons that can be gleaned for Minnesota's energy future. From what I can tell, they group didn't get their money's worth, because almost all of the media covering Germany's attempt to close their nuclear plants and rely on wind and solar are saying that the policy is a disaster. It's not just people who work at think tanks, either. In fact, consulting giant Wood McKinsey wrote that Germany's energy policy poses a signficatn threat to the nation's economy and energy...

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on September 18, 2019

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Statewide View Column: Closing Down Coal Gives China’s, India’s Iron Industries An Edge

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

The following article was written by me, and it originally appeared in the Duluth News Tribune. Xcel Energy recently made headlines by announcing it wished to close down its coal-fired power plants 10 years before they were previously scheduled to retire. However, it would be nothing short of a disaster for Minnesota’s mining industry, both present and future, if Minnesota Power pursued a similar path by closing the coal-fired Boswell Energy Center at a time when China and India are greatly expanding their use of coal. Mining requires an enormous amount of energy. In fact, the MinnTac mine in Mountain Iron reportedly...

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on September 06, 2019

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The Physical Impossibility of Renewable Energy Meeting the Paris Accord Goals

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

The environmental left lost their minds when President Trump announced that the United States would be leaving the Paris Climate Agreement. While renewable energy boosters hurl barbs at President Trump, they ignore the fact that carbon dioxide emissions in Germany have remained flat as the country foolishly shutters its fleet of nuclear power plants to switch to wind and solar. As many of our readers already know, wind and solar are simply too unreliable to help environmental virtue signalling countries reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to the levels they pledged to accomplish under the Paris Agreement. The following article was originally published...

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on August 28, 2019

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Elizabeth Warren Brings Her Campaign Against Reality to Minnesota

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

Elizabeth Warren visited Minnesota last week to hold a campaign rally in her bid to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. At the rally, Warren waded into two highly controversial environmental debates in Minnesota by opposing the replacement of the Line 3 oil pipeline, and voicing her opposition to the proposed Twin Metals Minnesota mine, which would develop the massive reserves of copper, nickel, and other metals like platinum, palladium, and cobalt in northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, the policies proposed by Senator Warren represent a continuation of her campaign against reality. Line 3 Minnesotans use a lot of oil. In fact, U.S. Energy Information...

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on April 12, 2019

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Minnesota Citizen’s Utility Board Harms Ratepayers By Advocating For Bad Policy

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

It is clear that the Citizens Utility Board is either unwilling or unable to advocate for the policies that will actually reduce costs for consumers. Center of the American Experiment is the leading advocate for energy consumers in Minnesota, and we can say that utilizing Minnesota's existing coal-fired power plants for the foreseeable future is the single-best way to keep our energy bills low, not adding unreliable and expensive sources like wind and solar. ...

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on March 03, 2019

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Why Renewables Can’t Save the Planet

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

The following article was written by Michael Schellenberger, an environmentalist and advocate for nuclear power: When I was a boy, my parents would sometimes take my sister and me camping in the desert. A lot of people think deserts are empty, but my parents taught us to see the wildlife all around us, including hawks, eagles, and tortoises. After college, I moved to California to work on environmental campaigns. I helped save the state’s last ancient redwood forest and blocked a proposed radioactive waste repository set for the desert. In 2002, shortly after I turned 30, I decided I wanted to dedicate myself...

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on October 06, 2018

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California Electricity Shutoffs Increase Up 64 Percent Over Five Years- Minnesotans Should Take Note

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Hundreds of thousands of Californians are feeling the negative effects of their renewable energy mandates, which was recently increased to a 100 percent mandate for zero emission electricity by 2045, as the number of people who can't afford their electric bill has skyrocketed. Why would Minnesota adopt another failed Californian policy? ...

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on September 05, 2018

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Oh Snap: New England Energy Markets Undermined By Renewables Subsidies. Will Minnesota Learn From the Looming Disaster?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

We're rapidly reaching a dangerous tipping point where the cost of renewable energy subsidies and state-level renewable energy mandates will explode. High electricity prices hurt low-income families, seniors, and they are devastating for industries like farming, mining, and manufacturing because it greatly increases the cost of doing business. If we want to grow living-wage jobs for all Minnesotans, we must stop the madness and stop mandating expensive renewable energy....

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