A Free-Market Energy Blog

On the History of IER (for the record)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 11, 2024

Ed note: The evolution of the Institute for Energy Research (IER), from a part-time to a full-time organization, is recounted below. (The earlier history of IER can be found here, here, and here. ) From inception, the institute has been a classical-liberal organization in favor of economic freedom–and thus consumers and taxpayers. In this regard, Wiki’s (erroneous) entry on IER is rebutted here.

In its 36th year, the Institute for Energy Research (IER) has a proud history that rebuts the erroneous ad hominem arguments hurled against its principles and principals. Ever since its humble beginnings, IER’s rock-solid research into the economics, political economy, philosophy, and history of energy markets have stood the test of time. Energy markets need to be free of, not controlled by, government—for human betterment and individual justice.…

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“Down Wind” (new book protests Netherlands blight)

By Bert Weteringe --

Thank you very much for your interest in the English translation of my new book ‘Down Wind’. It mainly describes the Dutch situation, but there are multiple examples reflecting situations in the United States and throughout Europe. Some description follows.

“Large numbers of (sea) birds, bats and insects are already being killed by the spinning rotor blades. Horizon pollution, infrasound and drop-shadow are driving more and more people to despair, and there seems to be no end in sight.”

Down Wind: The impact of large-scale energy production using wind turbines

In the summer of 2023, it became evident that the wind power industry was facing serious challenges. Sweden’s Vattenfall was denied permission by its own government for a wind farm on Sweden’s west coast. Why? “Negative impacts on the environment.” Vattenfall also cancelled the construction of a new offshore wind farm on England’s North Sea coast due to ‘cost’.

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EVs vs. Public Transportation

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 10, 2024

How many problems are emerging from EVs in practice?  Upfront cost; range anxiety; unwanted subsidies from government/taxpayers; tire wear; insurance rates; battery-wear risk; declining performance of batteries; resale value…. And maybe consumers were and are right, after all.

And for the Greens, the problems of battery labor and materials. And fronted CO2 emissions that can be worked off only with years of operation…. None other than Amy Westervelt at DRILLED recently acknowledged:

”To run, EVs require six times the mineral input, by weight, of conventional vehicles, excluding steel and aluminum,” the Washington Post reported in 2023. That’s because each EV has a 900-pound battery block containing roughly 353 pounds of crucial materials or metals including cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese, aluminum and copper. Gas cars don’t have that, so it’s less emissions-intensive to create a gas car than an electric car.

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Industrial Wind vs. the Environment (ILFN issues in debate)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 9, 2024
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Oil and Gas Breakthroughs (Continual Improvement)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 8, 2024
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U.S. Congress to International Energy Agency (Fatih Birol): Stop ‘Net Zero’ Cheerleading!

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 5, 2024
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Alaska Bad Bill 2: Electric Utility Regulation (SB 257)

By -- April 4, 2024
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Alaska Bad Bill 1: Clean Energy Standards (HB 368)

By -- April 3, 2024
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California Floating Wind Turbines? Environmental Pushback

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- April 2, 2024
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Energy & Environmental Review: April 1, 2024

By -- April 1, 2024
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