“Alaska’s ‘capitalism in transition’ requires one final piece of legislation before reaching, arguably, the point of no return: a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).”

Alaska has no shortage of recommendations from local environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) whose purpose is to implement global Malthusian degrowth.  These plans come at great cost to our future and way of life as free Alaskans.  

In March of 2022, “Alaska’s Renewable Energy Future – New Jobs, Affordable Energy” was released, a report on behalf of the Regenerative Economies Working Group – Alaska Climate Alliance / Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition. Imagining themselves as Alaska’s overlords, the study examined

the potential for 100% clean renewable energy to replace fossil fuels energy in Alaska by 2050 and its attendant benefits including more jobs, lower energy prices, higher energy security and the potential for renewable resources to support the equitable transition to hydrogen-based fuels for the aviation and maritime industry.

Ed. Note: This post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, a free fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete Newsletter for this post can be found here.

Greed Energy Economics:
*** The DOE Is Stonewalling on Residential Energy Costs and its Electrify Everything Push
“Green” Objectives Stifle Economic Growth in the Developing World

Unreliables (General):
*** Report: The Clean Energy Transition’s Voter Problem
*** Capacity Factors: Dispatchable vs. Non-dispatchable
*** Electric grid operators warn U.S. Supreme Court that new EPA rules will cause widespread blackouts
IEA: The World Is Not on Track to Triple Renewable Capacity by 2030

Grid Batteries:
*** Report: Grid Scale Batteries and Fire Risk
Grid scale battery fires loom large
If Green Energy Is the Future, Bring a Fire Extinguisher

Wind Energy — Offshore:
Offshore wind’s bogus benefits bragged on

Wind Energy — Other:
*** Taking the Wind Out of Climate Change (referencing 60± studies)

Nuclear Energy:
*** Natura Resources’ Molten Salt Reactor at ACU Receives Historic NRC Construction Permit
AI Power Demands Mandate Overdue Nuclear Investments

Fossil Fuel Energy:
It’s Too Soon to Abandon Fossil Fuels, Says Pulitzer-Nominated Author, Ronald Stein

Electric Vehicles (EVs):
*** The Left’s Climate and EV Craze Couldn’t Make China Happier
EVs and Global Warming
The EV Flame Out

Miscellaneous Energy News:
*** Report: Hydrogen… What More Can We Wish For?…

“There is no management-of-change transition plan that shows how we can effectively move from one energy source to another responsibly. Is it green? Is it ethical? What is the risk? What is the benefit?  What is the cost? What are the metrics of success? Is it even achievable? Will forcing Alaskans to pay the price for all of this have any [climate] effect whatsoever?”

Ky Holland is running for Alaska State House in District 9, Anchorage (South Anchorage), Girdwood, Whittier.  Running as an Independent, he supports a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). With RPS legislation imminent in the upcoming session, I wanted to know where Holland stood on this bill of goods specifically.

Be warned: the green lobby is working overtime to mandate unreliable and expensive sources of energy on Alaskans. While Ky’s opponent, Republican Lucy Bauer, has stated she will oppose an RPS “as it is currently being proposed,” my exchange with Holland unmasks why he believes mandates are needed.…

“Modern wind farms are reliable, safe, state-of-the-art power plants with well-tested technologies that meet approved standards and hundreds of thousands of hours of operating experience,” the U.S. Department of Energy states. Except when they fail under normal conditions–or abnormal ones.

“Wind Turbines Destroyed by Typhoon Yagi,” read one recent headline. This (during peak hurricane season 2024) has wind power in the (not-so-good) news. Not only were older turbines destroyed by the 150 mile-per-hour typhoon (Category 4 in hurricane terms); new “more efficient typhoon-resistant versions” were leveled too. For multi-million dollar structures, the risk and the cost of insurance are major issues.

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The U.S. offshore wind industry will be spared–but only because of projects that have been abandoned or delayed. But what would happen if such naked structures are built, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico or off the Atlantic Coast?…