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Surge Pricing, Not ‘Price Gouging’ (an economist’s protest)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 12, 2020

All told, it is cheaper to surge price than have consumers worry and waste the most precious and depleting commodity of all, a person’s time.

The free market is needed even more in an emergency than in normal times. In the current Pandemic, a run on toilet paper and paper towels occurred as consumers stocked up in the fear that shortages would persist. Back in the 1970s, gasoline and other petroleum products, underpriced by federal law, caused shortages where consumers repeatedly topped off their tanks in long gasoline lines at the service station.

Surge pricing (the proper term for ‘price gouging’) is needed from time to time to save consumers from themselves. Increasing prices to the point that consumers know that there will be supply at the store prevents panic buying, not to mention the worry and lost time hunting for uncertain supply.…

Houston Chronicle vs. Petroleum: The Latest

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 6, 2020

Oil “worthless”? Under this standard, the commercial airline and cruise industries are worthless, as are the people who can’t effectively work from home.

Normalcy is not the future the anti-oil Houston Chronicle wants to see, an extreme editorial position that combines Green New Deal advocacy with Trump Derangement Syndrome in an election year.

On Sunday April 26, the Editorial Board of the Houston Chronicle published “Remember the People Behind Industry; Put Those Working in Oil and Gas First, Above Free Market Ideology.” The lead Sunday op-ed was meant to soften up the entrepreneurs, politicians, and citizens of the oil capital of the nation and world.

The op-ed was bad, even offensive, penned by a monolithic editorial board (no conservatives or libertarians allowed) that is beholden to climate alarmism and government-forced energy transformation.…

Linowes on a 13th Extension of the Wind PTC (crony coronas exposed)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- May 5, 2020

Big wind does not have a COVID problem. It has a mismanagement problem.

[Chuck] Grassley is promoting the American Wind Energy Association’s bogus claim that COVID slowed the industry causing projects to delay into 2021. He is now asking the IRS to extend the four-year window by another year to allow MWs that started construction in 2016 to spill into 2021 and still earn 100% PTC.

– Lisa Linowes (below)

The Texas Business Coalition recently published an interview with the intrepid critic of government-enabled industrial wind power, Lisa Linowes. The TBC’s article, “Wind Energy Researcher: Don’t Extend Deadline for Wind Projects” (April 26. 2020), explains what Big Wind is after now under the guise of Pandemic policy.

The article follows in its entirety.

Six U.S. senators, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, have asked for “safe harbor” deadline extensions to assist renewable energy developers to meet construction deadlines and qualify for tax credits.…

Antitrust Protectionism: Domestic Independent Producers Charge “Dumping” against Oil Imports

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 30, 2020

“Petroentrepreneurs” are Environmentalists Too (DEPA tribute rings true)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 29, 2020

Robert Bryce: Guilty as Charged (DeSmog hit piece boomerangs)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 28, 2020

Wind Power: Subsidy after Subsidy after Subsidy ….

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 27, 2020

‘A Look at Resourceful Earth Day’ (Fred Smith Jr. on Julian Simon)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 23, 2020

“Happy Earth Day” (Julian Simon’s 25th anniversary essay speaks to us on the 50th)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 22, 2020

Trump’s New CAFE Rule: Better than Obama, Still Too Much

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 16, 2020