SaddleBrooke Republican Club » Energy and Environment

Next, the Sun

David Boaz — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:56:35 +0000

By David Boaz

The Obama administration has acted to protect Americans from cheap access to solar energy, imposing tariffs of 31 percent and even 250 percent on solar cells and panels imported from China. As I noted previously, this case echoes one of the most famous documents in the history of free-trade literature, Bastiat‘s famous ”Candlemakers’ Petition.” In that parody, the French [...]

Next, the Sun is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Brightsource DOE Funding Exposes Obama Cronyism

Romina Boccia — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:30:31 +0000

A congressional hearing on May 16 exposed further details on just the kind of political maneuvering that was going on between the Obama Administration and beneficiaries of Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees. Emails revealed during the hearing are the tip of the iceberg in a corrupt federal funding process that first came under congressional scrutiny with the failure of Solyndra. Solar company BrightSource Energy received an even bigger loan guarantee from DOE than Solyndra did. In April 2011, the company received $1.6 billion for its Ivanpah project in California—more … More

Googling Around DC

Randal O'Toole — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:28 +0000

By Randal O'Toole

The Google self-driving car is in Washington, DC, and several Catoites managed to hitch a ride around downtown. Our host, Anthony Lavandowski–sometimes driving, sometimes just sitting in the driver’s seat–answered a number of questions about the car. The Cato Institute’s David Boaz stands next to the Google Prius. In addition to the spinning laser sensor [...]

Googling Around DC is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Googling Around DC

Randal O'Toole — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:25 +0000

By Randal O'Toole

The Google car is in Washington, DC, and the Antiplanner managed to hitch a ride around downtown. My host, Anthony Lavandowski–sometimes driving, sometimes just sitting in the driver’s seat–answered a number of questions about the car. The Cato Institute’s David Boaz stands next to the Google Prius. In addition to the spinning laser sensor on [...]

Googling Around DC is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

VIDEO: Biden Claimed Coal Power Is More Dangerous Than Terrorism

Lachlan Markay — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:24:15 +0000

Video from 2007 shows then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) claiming that coal power and corn syrup are more deadly than terrorism. The remarks will likely prove a headache for an administration that is trying to distance itself from its anti-coal image. As Scribe reported on Friday, the Obama campaign adjusted its website to promote its work with “clean coal” in the wake of an embarrassing showing in the Democratic primary in coal-intensive West Virginia. Obama lost 41% of the vote there to federal prison inmate – a fact the state’s Democratic … More

Obama Campaign Quietly Adds ‘Clean Coal’ to Energy Policy Website

Lachlan Markay — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:25:37 +0000

After coming under fire for its consistent hostility to the coal industry, the Obama campaign quietly adjusted its energy policy website to include “clean coal” among the president’s energy initiatives. The energy policy page of BarackObama.com now includes a section for “clean coal,” claiming the stimulus package “invested substantially in carbon capture and sequestration research.” But until recently, that page made no mention of coal. Its Google cache shows a section for “energy efficiency” where “clean coal” now appears. The change comes mere days after Obama lost 41% of the … More

Obama’s To-Do List: Clean Energy Over Taxmaggedon

Romina Boccia — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:45:57 +0000

During a speech this week, President Obama presented Congress with a 5-point to-do list, which, as the President proudly proclaimed, would fit on a sticky note. When it comes to unleashing the economy and creating jobs, his suggestions are only worthy of a sticky note. It is particularly telling of the President’s priorities that he spoke up for renewing tax credits for his favored clean energy companies while making no mention of the monumental Taxmaggedon heading toward American businesses and families in 2013. The President remarked: …if Congress fails to … More

Legacy Lawsuit Strategy: Blame Natural Damages on Oil Companies

Lachlan Markay — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:02:47 +0000

Lawsuits against oil and gas companies in Louisiana have taken a toll on the industry and the state’s economy generally. But documents obtained by Scribe suggest plaintiffs’ attorneys in the lawsuits seek out litigation even when they know their claims are baseless. A presentation (embedded below) given by a major energy consultant recently obtained by Scribe offers a glimpse into the tactics that these firms may use to extract large damages from oil and gas companies in the state. The presentation offers a primer on how to “locate areas where I … More

Washington Post: EPA “Earning A Reputation for Abuse”

Mike Brownfield — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:30:50 +0000

It hasn’t been a good week for the Environmental Protection Agency, and today’s Washington Post editorial page didn’t make it any better. On Monday, EPA Region VI Administrator Al Armendariz resigned after video emerged in which he likened the agency’s “philosophy of enforcement” to Roman crucifixions. Today, The Post took up the issue of the EPA’s zealous enforcement overreach and slammed the agency for “earning a reputation for abuse.” On Armendariz’s “Roman” Remarks, The Post opined: The most reasonable interpretation is also among the most disturbing — that Mr. Armendariz … More

The Human Consequences of EPA’s War on Coal

Lachlan Markay — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:55:01 +0000

There are very real consequences to the Environmental Protection Agency’s continued efforts to undermine America’s coal industry. Those consequences were recently spotlighted in an industry-produced video, embedded above. Maria Tworek owns a sports bar in Omaha, Nebraska. “Our energy bills are sky-high,” Tworek explains. The bar has to keep its cooling facilities running 24/7 to keep all of its beer cold. If “we can’t cool our product, we don’t make money,” Tworek says. “It’s as simple as that.” The bar is Tworek’s livelihood. “This is how we live,” she says. … More