Barry Brownstein, writing at the Foundation for Economic Education, outlines the problem and abuses of administrative power, right here in New Hampshire, summed up in his closing paragraph.
Articles tagged as
Energy
Economic Malpractice
We continue the discussion with Greg Moore from Americans for Prosperity on Government meddling with medical care and coverage and the economic malpractice that results–fewer startups, employment stagnation, wage deflation, and other symptoms of this regulatory disease, including those specific to New Hampshire.
Power Play
We explore energy deregulation and its effect on rate payers, power plants and providers, investment, and cost-recovery, with industry expert Susan Olsen. Full podcast here.
Data Point – A Time to Drill
It is clear that if energy is needed, and it is found, it can be drilled for and drilled quickly. It is also clear that Obama’s Administration does not believe it is needed nor wanted, so they slow walk it (if moving forward on one’s knees is construed as reasonable progress). (H/T: RedState)
Data Point – US Energy Consumption per Dollar of GDP
Efficient! (H/T: AEIdeas)
But can you get a Bachelor’s in both kinds of stupid?
Following in the footsteps of Steve’s great post, I thought I ought to mention (if you hadn’t already heard) there is a student- advocacy organization at UNH called the Student Environmental Action Coalition pressing the university to divest itself from ‘oil and other fossil fuel’ companies. Mimicking other non-reality-based schools, these little darlings seem to want the world to be run on nothing but clean, green, renewable energy, thus saving the world if not for their progeny (what with free contraception and all that), at least for the polar bears and unicorns. Just how much of UNH’s (2011[i]) $227 million endowment is invested in one form or another of nasty fossil fuels, I do not know. But I’m pretty sure that none of the university’s or the town of Durham’s utilities or municipal services are currently fueled by solar, wind or fairy dust.
On the contrary, it appears as though electricity is supplied by PSNH and the NH Electric Coop; natural gas is supplied by Northern Utilities; the university has its own water system but the town runs the wastewater treatment plant and trash pickup.
Another stupid TV anchor – one of the MSM’s finest sounds a bit off key.
Progressives – the ones that claim that they are the reality based ones that are science oriented. Well, Steve’s got the CNN looney bird that thinks approaching asteroids are due to our so-called “global warming” – her exclamation had to be both reality and scientifically based, eh? And now, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell decides to lend her most informed opinion to the fray:
Think about it – we can hamstring our economy just to make her feel good – after all, she is pretty well insulated from the actual industries that, you know, use energy to create wealth generating products and services. She earns a 1% living – far above what others do. Yet, while she could absorb the extra energy costs with ease, most normal folks can’t (they’re struggling now with gas prices that are spinning the dials faster and faster the last couple of weeks). But that’s the least of the idiocy:
Why Did We Need RGGI?
With the recent approval of significant electric rate increases that will allow PSNH to recover some $67 million dollars a year in costs related to legislated state energy mandates (NH Renewable Standard and the RGGI tax), having this fall into my in-box could not have been more fortuitous.
From the journal Earth System Dynamics billed as “An Interactive Open Access Journal of the European Geosciences Union” comes this paper which suggests that the posited AGW forcing effects simply isn’t statistically significant in the observations, but other natural forcings are.
What that means is that a European Science journal is reporting a study that tried to consider all the data and all the factors that might influence global temperature change and human activity (AGW) was deemed statistically insignificant. The things that drive temperature change–natural forcings–are what makes the world get warmer and cooler.
So why did we need RGGI?
Watt The CFL Is Going On Here?
While the total ban on incandescents was averted, the old reliable ‘heat-ball’ is still nearing extinction in the US. When we rang in this new year, January 1st, 2013 began, the ban on the 75 Watt incandescent bulb.
This will drive the Greenies at TreeHugger nuts!
Over at Breitbart is a post with this headline: “Coal Use Set To Surpass Oil In A Decade: IEA“. I used to go over and post comments over at TreeHugger, as regular readers of the ‘Grok know, and bring the Lefty Enviro-wacko stream of consciousness back here just so that you see what the mindset is (which is, pretty much, you all HAVE to get with our program to save GAIA from our destructive ways). Smaller is better, and that less is best. Pretty much, everyone needs to be shoved into tiny apartments into urban areas because, after all, we have to be conscious firstly and always with the energy we are using and the carbon footprint we are using to stomp on future generations lives. And of course, “white European Developed Nation Guilt” plays a large role in their sackcloth living mantra. Betcha there’s much wailing and rending of said sackcloth at this:
Coal is set to surpass oil as the world’s top fuel within a decade, driven by growth in emerging market giants China and India, with even Europe finding it hard to cut use despite pollution concerns, according to a report published Tuesday.
Wither Thee A Thermostat – One Example of How Government Can Ruin Your Life
Here is a very good example of why the Government sucks, and why the very nature of the state as a reliever of ills is actually destructive to that very end..
Throughout the entire winter, every winter lately, the temperature in my house is around 63-65 degrees. At night, and when we are out, it is a good bit colder. This is not exactly the most comfortable environment but I have no choice. I cannot afford to keep it warmer so we grab extra sweatshirts and blankets and suck it up.
Now some folks will ask, why can’t you afford it and if not would you be eligible for something like heating aid?
I probably am eligible, but it is the governments own fault that I would even need to be eligible in the first place so that is not the kind of aid I want or need.
The Laundry Bill Comes Due (Bumped)
[Bumped: Given that Maggie Hassan is so proud to have sponsored this tax, I figured I’d revisit this post from September 30th]
Originally posted September 30th
The New Hampshire Sunday News has delivered what can only be called the dropping of the other boot on our necks. I am referring to the impending rate hike by PSNH for state government mandates, including New Hampshire’s participation in the Region Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the NH Renewable Portfolio Standard.
While rates have crept up for years this is the first real admission (I believe) by a local energy provider, that the time has come to deal with costs driven by the New Hampshire Democrat Parties war on cheap energy. As a result the average rate payer will see their annual bill go up about 50.00 a year, with commercial and government customers paying significantly more, costs that will find their way into your tax bills and the cost of all goods and services, right when you need them the least.
Good Call, Maggie – Higher Electric Rates for NH
From inception, Maggie “The Red” Hassan has been a strong proponent of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the “Cap and Trade” program that New Hampshire participates in with other northeastern states. She was instrumental in its 2008 passing and continues to advocate strongly for this nonsensical government swindle.
On her campaign website, Maggie declares that RGGI is “good for the economy and the environment” and that it can “help our families and businesses save money on their energy costs“.
Aside from the fact that the RGGI revenue stream has been a severe disappointment (which should only disappoint the beneficiaries of it : enviro-tyrants, the Green industry, and big-government types looking to fill deficits), PSNH recently made a statement that effectively nullifies the argument that RGGI will reduce rates for consumers and businesses.
Ask New Hampshire Democrats…About Gas Prices
Nothing says ‘we have no principles whatsoever’ like a crowd of screeching banshees gone silent when the shoe is on the other foot. If you’ve failed to notice, this happens to Democrats often, and no example is more prominent than gas prices.
Data Point – Data for Grid Parity for Solar PV keeps going into the future
(H/T: Business Insider)
I have said often that I am not against Solar Energy – I bought a solar hot water heater and solar hot air solar collectors (home heating). But I paid a pretty penny for them and once the subsidies dried up, so did the companies that could no longer service the companies. BI pulls from another source for this chart – Catherine Wood of AllianceBernstein:
The coming of grid parity keeps receding into the distance like a desert mirage. Over the last six years, executives at solar energy firms and their consultants have projected repeatedly that solar energy will reach grid parity—become cost competitive with other power sources—in three to five years—only to push its expected time of arrival further into the future…
…To understand the concept of grid parity, imagine you’re an electric power company executive poised to invest in new generating capacity. You can invest in any technology you want, using any kind of fuel. All you care about is whether the net cash flow from selling the electricity would provide a reasonable return on invested capital. Your first order of business would be to see what price you’d have to charge for the electricity you produce to justify the investment.
Today, you’d need to charge $375 per megawatt hour to justify investment in new solar equipment—nearly four times the average US retail price of electricity. That’s why solar energy requires steep subsidies.
Data Point – US Energy Production as a ratio of US Energy Consumption
(H/T: Business Insider)
Environmentalists who love crony capitalism
Because they can’t stand seeing their fellow citizens ignoring their bleats of “You shouldn’t do that” in some cases (like, you know, use electricity to live a modern lifestyle, or be allowed to drive a car that can, like, you know, can actually hold all of your family members and the grocery bags needed to feed them for a week – in 1 trip). So, they’ve convinced elected politicians (or increasingly, the unelected bureaucrats that doing the pols’ job). They certainly are in favor in taking away choice in little ways as in what kind of light bulbs you may purchase.
And when it comes to industries they like, like all things green, they are bound and determined not to let “green go dark” simply because the Free Market hates their ideas. From that ever amusing, ever complaining, bastion of Watermelon Environmentalism (otherwise known as TreeHugger), the denizens are complaining about the Federal Venture Capital spigot being turned off (gee, and I thought ALL forms of conservation was good – including conserving our tax dollars!).
This seems about right – but he’s WAY too polite
‘Grok friend Chan over at Weekend Pundit has a quick succinct summary of Barack Hussein Obama’s 4 years: Despite the water-carrying the MSM is doing for Obama, the narrative has been shifting from Romney’s perceived ‘deficiencies’ to Obama’s failures, both foreign and domestic. His Middle East foreign policy has been shown to be a disaster … Read more
Where I Give Lessons on Efficiency to Senator Jeanne Shaheen
New Hampshire Senator Shaheen would like me to sign a petition in support of Senate Bill S1000, a piece of legislation she is sponsoring with Senator Rob Portman. From her email….
While disagreements remain about the right approach to fixing our nation’s energy problems, there are also areas of broad agreement that Congress can act on immediately. Nowhere is that better embodied than in a bill that’s sitting before the Senate, awaiting action: The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, S.1000, written by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio.
The Shaheen-Portman Act would help make the United States a global leader on the fastest and cheapest method we have for addressing our energy needs, energy efficiency. It encourages more private investment in efficient buildings and manufacturing technologies through low-cost, high-reward programs like strengthening voluntary national model building codes and expanding loan programs to include efficiency upgrades. It gives manufacturers tools for increasing energy efficiency in their supply chain. And it puts the federal government, the single largest user of energy in the country, on track to save taxpayer dollars by using less energy.
There is actually a much faster way to save energy, Senator Shaheen… (and a way we could be much more efficient.)
Where environmentalists explicitly wish no access AT ALL to anyone – and are willing to kill people to enforce it.
I’m not sure if the proper metaphor is “enough rope to hang themselves with” or “let them babble long enough to find out what they really believe. Once again, from that crazy hothouse of Environmentalism meets Totalitarian Murder, TreeHugger. This post’s author is absolutely aghast that our civilization has found just SCADS of high amounts of usable energy and that we’d actually use it:
Consider this: If we’re going to keep temperature rise below 2°C (a figure it increasingly appears is still too high to avoid some serious climate impacts, but it is internationally agreed to), then we have about 565 gigatons more CO2 we can send into the atmosphere over the next four decades or so.
Then consider: The amount of carbon contained in the proven coal, oil and gas reserves of national oil companies and private corporations is about five times higher than this, 2795 gigatons.
In other words, we simply cannot allow that fuel to be extracted and used, if we’re going to preserve the climate in anything like a state we’ve grown accustomed over the recorded history of human civilization.
Notice the hubis that he REALLY thinks that:
- Humans can actually stabilize global temperature.
- Sufficiently number of like minded folks are willing to live stone age lifestyles to make that a reality
- What’s this WE bit on the pronouncement, kimosabe?? I see no crown tipped on your forehead
But that wasn’t even the worst. This guy just just wants us to live poorly; this next guy wants something FAR worse!