A Free-Market Energy Blog

US Electric Vehicle Report Card: 2017

By Donn Dears -- February 5, 2018

“Since 2010, the approximate introductory date for electric vehicles, US sales have totaled 753,886. Assuming none have been scrapped, this represents a minuscule 0.3 percent of all light vehicles on the road in the United States.”

“… only brute-force mandates will force car buyers out of their vehicles to rely on (more expensive) for-hire transportation or (less convenient) mass transit. But this raises ethical questions of hurting the middle class to achieve statist energy goals.”

The goal of the keep-it-in-the-ground, anti-fossil-fuel lobby is electrification where renewable energy not only captures the electricity market but also the transportation market. The latter is quite challenging: while 15 percent of US power generation comes from renewables (and about 7 percent non-hydro renewables), virtually none of the motor-fuel market does, outside of (environmentally incorrect) ethanol.…

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Sensing but Not Hearing: The Problem of Wind Turbine Noise (Interview with acoustician Steven Cooper, AU)

By Sherri Lange -- February 2, 2018

Editor Note: Steven Cooper has advanced our understanding of how people react to real recorded pressure pulsations from industrial wind turbines. In the last six months he has presented eight papers at Acoustic Meetings in Zurich, Boston and New Orleans. With this interview, he breaks down some of the salient points of his research discoveries. Cooper’s work is expanding our knowledge about “soundscapes” near projects, which could result in new legal requirements for manufacturers and developers.

“In general, wind farm applications claim that turbines do not generate any low-frequency, tonal, or impulsive characteristics, which is a matter disputed by residential receivers. The consequence of the pulsating signal generated by turbines (whether audible or inaudible) could potentially require a further adjustment to any perception or impact generated by wind turbines.”

“On discussing the resident’s observations (with the residents) for the first two weeks I found the use of describing the impacts in terms of Noise, Vibration, and Sensation was accepted by the residents as a better concept.”

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T. Boone Pickens: Contra-Capitalist (a ‘man of system’ sought more fame and fortune)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 31, 2018

“The two greatest enemies of free enterprise in the United States … have been, on the one hand, my fellow intellectuals and, on the other hand, the business corporations of this country.”

– Milton Friedman. “Which Way for Capitalism?” Reason, May 1977, p. 21.

“To put it plainly, T. Boone Pickens is out to save America.”

– Carl Pope (Sierra Club). Quoted in Dean Calbreath, “Pickens Pitches Plans to Shift U.S. Away From Oil,” San Diego Union Tribune, June 25, 2008.

They are not against capitalism. They can be very charismatic, in the know, and mainstream. They may be industry leaders. They are always politically correct and receive good press. And they can, often do, pledge allegiance in the abstract to the American way of free enterprise.…

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Energy & Environmental Newsletter: January 29, 2018

By -- January 29, 2018
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Trump on Regulatory Reform at Davos (January 26, 2018)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 27, 2018
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‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’ (Science advances, Australia judiciary takes note)

By Sherri Lange -- January 26, 2018
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Malthusianism circa 1948 (running out of oil, etc.)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 24, 2018
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It’s the Weather, Governor Brown (peddling climate hypochondria for political gain)

By Robert Endlich -- January 22, 2018
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National Academy of Sciences: So Wrong on Energy (Bailey on 1980 report)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 19, 2018
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Roy Spencer on the Unsettled Science of Climate Change: A Primer

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 17, 2018
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