on January 29, 2020

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The “How Do We Make This Bill Less Ugly?” – Proposed Changes to Improve Clean Energy First

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

The last two days I've reviewed The Good and The Bad parts of the proposed Clean Energy First legislation currently circulating in the Minnesota States Senate. Today, in sticking with our Sergio Leone theme, I'll talk about a few ways to make the bill less Ugly. 1. Instead of Granting Cost Recovery for Prematurely Retired Assets, Require Utilities to Sell the Plants on the Open Market to the Highest Bidder Why should Minnesota families and businesses be forced to continue to pay for a coal plant that is going to be destroyed before the end of its useful lifetime? This should be...

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on November 07, 2019

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High Electricity Prices Killed More Than 1,280 People in Japan After The Government Foolishly Shuttered All Nuclear Facilities Following Fukushima

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

High electricity prices are deadly. That's the conclusion reached by a new paper produced by the National Bureau Of Economic Research (NBER), which investigated the relationship between electricity prices and mortality after the Japanese government's decision to shut down all of its nuclear power plants following the Fukushima meltdown in March of 2011. According to NBER, shutting these plants down came at enormous costs, both economic and human. The paper reads: "To meet electricity demands, the reduction in nuclear energy production was offset by increased importation of fossil fuels, which increased the price of electricity by as much as 38 percent in some...

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on June 13, 2019

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Global CO2 Emissions To Skyrocket As India Plans To Build 42 Shercos in the Coming Years

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

During the legislative session, we heard Governor Walz, House DFL members, and liberal environmentalists call climate change an "existential crisis," several times (give or take a million). This so-called crisis was used as justification for trying to pass radical Green New Deal-style legislation in Minnesota in an attempt to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Absent from these discussions, however, was any context for global carbon dioxide emissions and the impact they will have on future temperatures. This seems like a massive oversight. It's called global warming, after all. The most likely reason this discussion never occurred is because it would undermine the Governor's case...

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on June 07, 2019

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Pollution Control Equipment Has Greatly Reduced Emissions at Minnesota’s Clean, Beautiful Coal Plants

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Some renewable energy advocacy groups claim that Minnesota should aspire to have cheaper and cleaner electricity by using more wind and solar. Of course, this logic makes no sense because wind and solar increase the cost of electricity in Minnesota, but it is worth looking at whether coal-fired power, which is among the most affordable ways to generate electricity in Minnesota, is actually dirty. According to data from the Energy Information Administration, it isn't. When most people think of coal, they probably think of the smog-filled skies of 1950's Pittsburgh or scenes from modern-day Beijing, but advanced pollution control technology at coal-fired...

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on May 30, 2019

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Xcel’s Plan to Close Coal Plants Early Is Bad News for Minnesota Families and Businesses

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

Last week, Xcel Energy announced their desire to shutter the last of their coal-fired power plants a decade earlier than previously planned. If approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the plan would increase electricity costs for Minnesota families and businesses and produce zero measurable reductions in global temperatures. It would, however, result in handsome corporate profits for Xcel Energy, which would be a direct wealth transfer from everyday Minnesotans, who are forced by the government to buy their electricity from Xcel, to the company's shareholders. Minnesota's coal plants provide some of the lowest-cost electricity in the state. The graph below...

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on May 14, 2019

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100 Percent of Minnesota Coal is Lower Cost than Wind or Solar

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

100 percent of Minnesota's existing coal plants generate electricity at a lower cost than new wind, even using BNEF's assumptions- which are likely unrealistic. Looks like claims that Minnesota can close coal plants, build more wind, and reduce costs are dead wrong....

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on May 06, 2019

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Refuting “Local View: Minnesota Must Aggressively Move to Less-Costly Renewables”

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

My piece in the Duluth News Tribune detailing how a 50 percent renewable energy mandate would harm the mining industry has generated quite the controversy, with at least three counterpoints from renewable energy special interest groups. Today, I'm refuting a member of the Citizen's Climate Lobby....

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on April 15, 2019

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Minnesota Should Keep Burning Clean, Beautiful Coal

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment

With President Trump visiting Minnesota today, there is no better time to emphasize the fact that Minnesota would save $87.7 billion dollars through 2050 by continuing to burn clean, beautiful coal to generate electricity instead of pursuing more wind and solar. Despite claims to the contrary, coal-fired electricity is far more affordable than wind or solar. Minnesota can only reap these massive economic benefits if we implement the Trump Administration’s proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which requires coal plants to make common sense, and cost effective improvements to reduce carbon dioxide emissions....

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on October 05, 2018

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Xcel Should Save Sherco 1 and 2, Skip the Wind

Written by Isaac Orr and Mitchell Rolling

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

On October 2nd, Xcel Energy told a crowd of people about how they intend to grow their "carbon free" electricity generation portfolio by replacing coal-fired generation with more wind. This would happen as the monopoly utility closes three coal plants at Sherburne County (Sherco) Units 1 and 2, in Becker, and the Allen S. King plant in Stillwater. Xcel should save the coal and skip the wind, because Minnesota can't afford more failed energy policies. ...

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