“The blackout in South Australia that left the entire province without electricity for more than 24 hours was caused by too great a reliance on wind energy, coupled with the closing of the areas last coal-fired power plant.”
While the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page retains a free market, limited government outlook, the body of the paper continues to move left, following much of the media.
The July 11, 2017, WSJ article on Australia’s energy problems, “How Energy-Rich Australia Exported Its Way Into an Energy Crisis,” with the subtitle “The world’s No. 2 seller abroad of liquefied natural gas holds so little in reserve that it can’t keep the lights on in Adelaide—a cautionary tale for the U.S.” laid blame on LNG exports rather than relying on intermittent electricity sources.…
Continue Reading“Seattle tops the list with 226 days of heavy clouds each year, or about 62%. Portland is next with 222 days of heavy clouds.”
“It rarely gets real hot in western Washington (most houses don’t have or need air conditioners, and only one of my neighbors has one). But that reduces the rationale for solar panels further, since they are best at cutting peak power demand by supplying electricity and absorbing heat of the sun on hot afternoons.”
The new Administration is shifting federal energy policies and that concerns companies, employees, and advocates of solar power. “Sunset for solar incentives? Panel installers worry about industry’s outlook,” Seattle Times, July 1, 2017) quotes one solar CEO on what may be a solar apocalypse for Washington state’s solar industry:
… Continue Reading“Solar energy is looking at 2020 as a critical year,” Jeremy Smithson, CEO and founder of Puget Sound Solar, said last week about the scheduled sunset date for state renewable-energy incentive programs designed to make solar more affordable.
Dear Diary,
I just had a wonderful day creating economic development and protecting the people of our good state.
The day started normally with a power company’s chief lobbyist showing up at my office with Starbucks, a bouquet of flowers, and a box of chocolates. He is such a good friend. He says he even thinks of me as a father figure!
The latest stack of consumer complaints was on my desk, and we spent awhile laughing at them. People can be so silly!
Then I got down to business. A man who gave $250 to my election campaign wants electricity for his fishing shack down on the river. He and his drinking buddies spend a few weekends there a year. The power company says it will take more than $50,000 to run power through the swamp, and they want him to pay for it.…
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