“New Mexico has one of the highest poverty rates in the country. Higher energy prices are in effect a regressive tax that places low-income households in the state in peril.”

Energy policies that originate from a political or quasi-religious agenda—propelled by climate zealots, misinformation, and obliviousness to basic economic principles—are on trial in the new political environment. Such policies sacrifice the public good to benefit special interests wed to rent-seeking.

While this commentary focuses on New Mexico, its urgings are applicable to other jurisdictions that currently have or are considering government-driven energy policies featuring mandates and subsidies that encourage consumers to transition away from fossil fuels. 

Three Hard Truths

Three truths should determine energy policy in New Mexico.

1. No climate benefit. Whatever action the state takes to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has a negligible effect on climate change. …

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.

Unreliables (General):
Rising Electricity Rates under Biden (Texas wholesale up 200%)
An Australian community’s expensive experiment to go all renewable, is over after a fortnight of blackouts

Wind Energy — Offshore:
*** How President Trump can stop offshore wind on day one
*** ‘Not feasible’ – Engineers whack offshore wind plans
*** Sweden says no to 13 Wind Projects, as they could slow its response to a Russian missile attack
*** Massive Big Wind Project Off Massachusetts Coast Suffers Another Big Blow
Whales Declare BOEM is a Terrorist Organization Committing Genocide

Wind Energy — Other:
*** Taking the Wind Out of Climate Change (referencing 60± studies)
Intermittent Wind Generation on Full Display in the First Two November Days
Dutch coalition party calls for stop on land turbines after devastating Clintel report

Nuclear Energy:
Thorium’s potential as a source of fuel for the future, and its other important uses

Fossil Fuel Energy:
*** Resolving the Dissonance Regarding Fossil Fuels
*** Report: Estimation of the quantity of metals to phase out fossil fuels in a full system replacement, compared to mineral resources
*** Fracking and Pennsylvania: Why it Matters
*** Alec Epstein: The most heretical idea in the world
Resolving the Dissonance Regarding Fossil Fuels
Coal Is Still King In Spite Of War On ‘Fossil Fuels’

Electric Vehicles (EVs):
*** Ford lost $58,391 for every EV it sold during the 3rd quarter
*** Electric Vehicles: A Tale of Woe in the Absence of the Market Process
The “Energy Transition” coupled with “White Gold” Generates Battery Fires

Miscellaneous Energy News:
*** Affordable electricity can resolve worldwide poverty
*** SCOTUS Stumbles: EPA’s Power Plant Rule is Inflicting Irreparable Harm
Alex Epstein: Answers to questions about fracking, Keystone, hurricanes, and more
Navigating the physical realities of the energy transition
FBI thwarts man’s alleged plan to attack Nashville power grid with explosive-laden drone

Manmade Global Warming — Some Deceptions:
*** The Carbon Capture Pipeline Deception
*** A Looming Political Earthquake
*** AI knows it is biased on climate change
*** World Bank Missing $41 Billion in Climate Funds

Manmade Global Warming — Miscellaneous:
*** Climate Journalism Done Right
*** Who Really Cares About Climate Change?…

“Mitigation has had far more attention than adaptation…. So thanks to various people who alerted me to a new guide to the often-ignored subject of adaptation….” (- David Shukman, below)

The failure of climate mitigation policy grows ever more obvious. It was 36 years ago (1988) that the debate began on the front pages of the New York Times and other leading newspapers, and look where we are now. A tripartite fossil fuel boom … grassroot backlash against wind and solar installations … growing federal budget deficits with Green Energy bribes … and a significant divide in regard to nuclear and geoengineering as ‘climate fixers’.

If the crisis is upon us, then the ‘climate dollar’ must go toward resilience and adaptation (R&A), not mitigation that has no effect on global climate for decades.…

This candidate profile was just released by the American Energy Alliance, the advocacy arm of the Institute for Energy Research (IER).

“Kamala Harris has a plan for American energy: make it harder to produce and more expensive to purchase.”

President Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday, July 21, under mounting pressure from Democrats following his poorly received debate performance. By endorsing Harris, he has positioned her as the frontrunner to succeed him. However, there is still some degree of uncertainty looming as Democrats hurriedly work to assemble a new 2024 ticket before the party’s convention on August 19-22 in Chicago.  

Harris’ stance on energy, both during her tenure as a senator and as a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, was to the left of Biden’s, leaning more towards far-left positions that favor government control and political direction of energy production. …