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:
*** Study: Green Energy and Economic Fabulism
*** Study: Residents in Blue States Pay Much More for Electricity than in Red States
Michigan Energy Plan: At Least $200 Billion For Wind, Solar and Corporate Profits With No Effect On Global Climate
The US should take warning from the huge costs of British floating wind power

Unreliables: Energy, Health, and Ecosystem Consequences:
World Leaders Ignore Growing Safety Issues with Green Energy

Unreliables (General):
*** The Green Energy Wall gradually coming into focus
*** New York energy transition faces reliability challenges, grid operator says
The Biden Energy Slush Fund
Demonstration Challenge

Wind Energy — Offshore:
*** What Happened to the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Boom?…

“Diesel trucks can travel about 1,200 miles after filling the tank in 15 minutes; the range of electric trucks is about 150-330 miles, and recharging takes hours. Electric truck cabs cost two-to-three times as much as diesel cabs and weigh about 10,000 pounds more than comparable diesel versions, reducing net freight carried by as much as 20 percent.”

Earlier this year, California passed regulations that would turn the trucking industry upside down. Zero emission mandates would disrupt the industry, raise shipping costs, and put trucking companies out of business. A group including 19 states and several trucking organizations recently filed suit to block the California regulation.

Background

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation goes into effect on January 1, 2024. The ACF requires that truck operators buy only Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) trucks for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucking operations as early as January 2024.…

“Hydrogen from electrolysis, called green hydrogen, typically costs more than $5 per kilogram, or more than five times the price when produced from natural gas.”

“The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act offers an astounding subsidy of $3 to produce a kilogram of green hydrogen, three times the market price. Imagine a subsidy of $150,000 to purchase a $50,000 electric car or a subsidy of $12 to produce a $4 gallon of gasoline. There appears to be no end to the cash governments will pay to try to establish a hydrogen economy.”

World leaders tout “green hydrogen” as an essential fuel in the renewable energy transition. Today, heavy industries use huge amounts of coal and natural gas to produce products needed by society. Governments propose to replace hydrocarbon fuels with hydrogen fuel, using hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies.…

“Labeling carbon dioxide ‘carbon’ is as foolish as calling salt ‘chlorine.’ Carbon and carbon dioxide (CO2) are completely different substances…. Suppose we start calling CO2 ‘carbon dioxide’ and quit referring to it as a pollutant?”

Political and business leaders, educators, and the news media endlessly talk about “carbon.” Newscasters repeatedly warn about “carbon emissions” and “carbon pollution.” States and provinces announce “zero carbon” goals. The United Nations and environmental groups push for a “low-carbon” and a “carbon-neutral” society. But instead, they should all be talking about “carbon dioxide,” not carbon.

Labeling carbon dioxide “carbon” is as foolish as calling salt “chlorine.” Carbon and carbon dioxide (CO2) are completely different substances. The term “carbon” conveys an image of black pencil lead or soot, but CO2 is an invisible gas. It appears that CO2 is deliberately being misnamed to convey a negative image.…