A Free-Market Energy Blog

Wind Setbacks: Safety First (unless you’re a wind developer)

By -- July 1, 2014

“After years of debate there is still disagreement and uncertainty regarding appropriate safety setback distances. This uncertainty has benefited the wind industry. Thousands of turbines are erected throughout the U.S. that are dangerously close to where people live.”

Last month, Ohio infuriated wind proponents by passing Senate bill 310, a bill that delays the state’s renewable electricity standard for two years and eliminates the requirement that half of the renewables mandate be met with in-state resources.

Within days of SB310 passing, Ohio Governor John Kasich approved a change to the safety setback distances for wind turbines. Under the new law, setbacks will now be measured at the property line of the nearest adjacent property as opposed to the wall of a nearby home. In practice, this will require minimum distances of at least 1,300 feet from property lines to each turbine base.…

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Risky Argumentation: Henry Paulson (2014) Recycles Ken Lay (1997)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 30, 2014

“The business voices change, the decades change, but the arguments are familiar. Problem is, the global average temperature today is not appreciably higher than when Ken Lay penned his op-ed. The year 1998 would be the temperature peak, in fact, that marked the beginning of ‘the pause‘.”

Henry Paulson began his recent New York Times opinion-page editorial, “The Coming Climate Crash,” as follows:

“There is a time for weighing evidence and a time for acting. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my work in finance, government and conservation, it is to act before problems become too big to manage.”

Ken Lay ended his Houston Chronicle opinion-page editorial of December 5, 1997, “Let’s Have an Ounce of Global-Warming Prevention,” [1] similarly:

“It’s time to stop debating the issues surrounding climate change initiatives and focus instead on simple, realistic, cost-effective solutions.

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$10,000 Bet on Climate Change: Asking the Wrong Question

By E. Calvin Beisner -- June 26, 2014

“[Christopher Keating] rigged the bet. Compare it with the old-West poker player who stacks the deck, marks the cards, seats his opponents so he can see their hands in mirrors, and hides a few aces up his sleeve.”

Physicist offers $10,000 to anyone who can disprove ‘man-made global climate change'”, the headline at Daily Kos (June 22, 2014) proclaimed. “Climate change deniers using same methods as tobacco industry, says physicist.”

Wow! It’s put-up or shut-up time for climate skeptics like us at the Cornwall Alliance, right? Ten grand ripe for the picking!

All we have to do is lay out our proof and collect the dough. And if we don’t? Well, obviously we’re admitting we don’t dare put our arguments to the test.

But there’s a whole lot less here than it appears.…

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Energy and U.S. Middle East Policy: Shaky Foundations

By Greg Rehmke -- June 25, 2014
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Obama’s Energy Plan to Plug California Leakage (to Texas)

By Wayne Lusvardi and Charles Warren -- June 24, 2014
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Heartland Institute: Reality Check for the Climate Debate (Las Vegas conference July 7–9)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 23, 2014
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Ohio’s Win, AWEA’s Loss (Rep-Elect Vitale new national hero)

By Thomas Stacy II -- June 19, 2014
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Ex-Im Bank Cronyism: Remember Enron’s Bad Investments

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 18, 2014
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Fighting Executive Fiat on Climate

By -- June 17, 2014
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AWED Energy & Environmental Newsletter: June 16, 2014

By -- June 16, 2014
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