A Free-Market Energy Blog

Climate/Energy Statism: An Inside Conversation (Part II)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 3, 2018

“A carbon tax is not simple either, especially when you start talking about how the revenue will be distributed. … Yes, there would be a food fight over the revenue….”

Antonia Herzog, Natural Resources Defense Council

“I wish I could tell you that Republican offices have approached us and said, ‘Thank you for doing this, we are ready to talk about it’…. [F]rankly Senators Schatz and Whitehouse are two of the more liberal members of the Senate.”

There is also concern from the left that those conversations [with Republicans] could lead to eradication of EPA authority or at least a moratorium on EPA authority, which leaves some folks nervous….”

– Michael Obetter, Office of Sen. Brian Schatz

“I find these meetings extremely productive and helpful. They have influenced my thinking in how best to go about what I want to accomplish in the House and Senate with the GOP.

Continue Reading

Climate/Energy Statism: An Inside Conversation (Part I: pre-Trump plans that went awry)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 2, 2018

“Over the last year or so, I have tried to advise the progressive community that we should be open-minded about a carbon tax.”

Greg Dotson, Center for American Progress

“The bottom line here is that the distributional effect of a carbon tax could really be anything you want, depending on how you use the revenues. We think it is shortsighted to only think of the direct effect of the tax.”

– Eric Toder, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center

“[Trump] … is going to be utterly decimated in November….  Then the question is, what does that do to the Tea Party? …. Is the Tea Party really something to fear now, after a decimation in November? 

– Jerry Taylor, Niskanen Center

It is rare that one gets to follow the talk and reasoning of climate/energy alarmists/activists.

Continue Reading

Paris Lives! “Deep Decarbonization” at DOE

By -- June 28, 2018

“EERE’s mission for a ‘transition to a global clean energy economy’ is simply a restatement of the UN’s global ‘deep decarbonization’ strategy via ‘beneficial electrification’.”

“‘Clean energy’ should be part of an all-the-above energy policy (when it fairly competes with all other viable alternatives). However, ‘clean energy’ advocates (including electric utilities) don’t want all-the-above: Instead, they want an all-electric energy monoculture and are willing to wager our futures that it won’t ruin the economy.”

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion include: Every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. This article examines that force within the “swamp” of climate change policies in DOE.

Despite President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would withdraw for the Paris Agreement, the basis of that agreement–“deep decarbonization” through “beneficial electrification”–is proceeding virtually unabated.…

Continue Reading

Protesters Aren’t Stopping US Pipeline Network Growth

By Steve Goreham -- June 27, 2018
Continue Reading

“Obama’s Global-Warming Folly” (Krauthammer lives!)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 26, 2018
Continue Reading

Climate Alarm: When It All Began (Hansen in 1988)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 25, 2018
Continue Reading

William Niskanen on Climate Change: Part VI, Conclusion, Postscript

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 21, 2018
Continue Reading

William Niskanen on Climate Change: Part V, Mitigation Issues

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 20, 2018
Continue Reading

William Niskanen on Climate Policy: Part IV, Why Regulate?

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 19, 2018
Continue Reading

Energy & Environmental Newsletter: June 18, 2018

By -- June 18, 2018
Continue Reading