A Free-Market Energy Blog

Hillary’s Solar Future Has a Bad Past

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- September 28, 2016

“President Bill Clinton in 1997 announced the Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs Initiative as part of the buildup to the international negotiation on climate change held in Kyoto, Japan. The goal’s date was 2010. Yet after 40 years of government plans and incentives, the U.S. is not halfway to Bill’s one-million goal.”

“If solar was really cheap, dependable, and competitive, Hillary would not need to be touting solar as the energy future — or espouse special government favor either. Let-the-market-decide would be enough.”

The centerpiece of Hillary Clinton’s energy plan for Election 2016 is to boost the nation’s installed solar capacity seven-fold between the time she takes office and the end of 2020 (four years). Going from 20 gigawatts to 140 gigawatts would involve a half-billion solar panels on twenty-five million roofs.…

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New Nuclear: IPPs, not Utilities (a step toward market discipline)

By Jim Clarkson -- September 27, 2016

“So on the eve of another round of high risk construction projects, we have a system of scattered companies with weak politicized managements trying to implement expensive new technology with other people’s money. This is truly a recipe for disaster.”

“The technical and environmental case for nuclear power seems compelling. The case for allowing regulated politically-oriented utilities to be managers of the projects is not compelling. The only thing the utilities have learned since the last round of nuclear plant construction is how to protect their stockholders through politics rather than with management competence.”

“The Commission should require 100% of all new power plants be built by Independent Power Producers. Affiliates of the utility should not be allowed to bid on new generation for the territory of any sister company.”

Nuclear financial risk is the most important aspect of the new generation decisions which face the Georgia Public Service Commission.…

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Clinton’s Water Plan Runs Up Hill(ary) Towards Money”

By -- September 26, 2016

“The Clinton plan states that: ‘the United States has 17 national labs that work on energy, but not one that is focused exclusively on water’.”

“In California, they say: ‘water runs uphill toward money.’ To that, now should be added the adage: ‘Water runs up-Hillary to money’.”

News flash: Hillary’s Western Water Plan would trickle up to elites.

On Sept. 18 the San Francisco Chronicle poured water on Donald Trump for having no water infrastructure plan at all other than his scoffing that “there was no California drought” (see “Clinton Plans While Trump Scoffs on Water, Environment”). Trump was right, but that is besides the point here.

Left out of the Chronicle article was that the benefits of Hillary Clinton’s “Western Water Partnership”plan, as part of her proposed $275 billion infrastructure funding and make-work jobs program, would flow mainly to high-level, planners, union labor, well-connected engineering firms and politicians.…

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Powering Countries, Empowering People: A Case Study (Part 3 of 3)

By -- September 22, 2016
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Powering Countries, Empowering People: A Case Study (Part 2 of 3)

By -- September 21, 2016
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Powering Countries, Empowering People: A Case Study (Part 1 of 3)

By -- September 20, 2016
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More on Energy/Climate from Trump

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- September 19, 2016
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Profile Costs of Wind Energy: Why are Utilities Overpaying?

By Tyler McNeal -- September 15, 2016
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Green Energy Shock: Canadians Confront Climate Policy

By -- September 14, 2016
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CO2 Coalition: Time to Play Offense

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- September 13, 2016
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