In the Pipeline: 12/4/12

The great thing about a carbon tax is that it exposes the entire racket.  It is about expanding government; it has never had anything to do with the environment.   Only slow-witted people are confused about that. MasterResource (12/3/12) reports: “Yep, that is it. For all the incessant talk as to how the highly consumptive U.S. lifestyle—from SUVs, to air conditioners, to big screen TVs and huge portion sizes—is leading climate catastrophe, the sum total of our contribution to “global warming” this century will amount to the neighborhood of about 0.2°C. Not five degrees. Not two degrees. But abouttwo-tenths of a degree Celsius. And even this number may be on the high side if the climate sensitivity is lower than about 3°…”

 

My favorite part of this?  That Senators Grassley and Thune are raising questions about the disposition of Solyndra’s assets.  You may remember that the same two Senators are the biggest proponents in the “Republican” caucus for extending the wind production tax credit.  So, apparently it is okay to take money from taxpayers for inefficient and expensive energy sources, but you can’t share any of the spoils with the Chinese. National Legal and Policy Center (12/3/12) reports: “So far Republican Sens. Charles Grassley (Iowa) and John Thune (S.D.) have repeatedly raised questions and concerns about the possible transfer of A123’s business, jobs and technology from the U.S. – where taxpayers have thrown in approximately $132 million only to see many times that amount in losses since its 2009 initial public offering – to China. They’re no longer the only voices speaking out against the transaction.”

 

Jones is solid.  More so than many Republicans we know. Politico(12/3/12) reports: “NARUC’s new president said today that the wind industry is “pretty mature right now” and “does not need the PTC.” But, Philip Jones quickly said that was his personal opinion and not NARUC’s position. Other renewables like geothermal and tidal still need financial help, he said. Yet, with all the fiscal cliff discussions taking place on Capitol Hill, Jones didn’t think the PTC would get renewed. When he asked NARUC lobbyist Chris Mele to chime in on the odds of a PTC extension, Mele said: ‘Toss a coin at this point.’”

 

That would be an awesome nomination.  And Senator Inhofe would finally get to question His Largeness face to face.  How do you figure that would turn out? Current (12/2/12) reports: “Al Gore. I first heard this suggestion from my friend David Greenberg, the historian who writes for Slate, and I though, nahhh. But it grew on me pretty fast. Tell me why not. He’d be great. He’s known around the world. He’s respected around the world, about 90 percent of which surely wishes he’d been the president instead of the guy he beat. I’m not saying he’d change the world; no one can do that. But he’d get a hearing everywhere. He knows a huge number of world leaders, and he knows the issues cold. He could dive right into the pool’s deepest end, in the Middle East, on Iran, you name it.”

 

It must be hard to have a healthy level of self-esteem in an industry where your success or failure has no relation to hard work and merit. Statesman.com (12/1/12) reports: “Hornaday disagrees that the industry can continue to thrive in Texas without the tax credit that pays 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour… In today’s market, Hornaday said he can sell electricity at 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt because the tax credit pays about a third of the cost of a turbine. Without the tax credit, Hornaday said his price would increase to 5 or 6 cents a kilowatt, as compared to natural gas’s 3-cent range.”

 

This is about average for a bunch of generals and admirals.  Some of it is good (increase domestic production); some of it is timid and pointless (send Interior back to revise its Soviet-style five year plan); and some of it is just plain ridiculous (more electric cars!).  Small wonder we have trouble winning wars.Energy Security Leadership Council (2012) reports: “The Energy Security Leadership Council (“Council”) believes that America’s energy security can be fundamentally strengthened through a combination of major reductions in oil consumption, increases in domestic energy production, and reforms to energy-related regulations. Most importantly, we must transform our transportation sector so that oil is no longer its primary fuel.”

 

After they shot Thomas Jackson, North Carolina has been on a pretty steady slide. E&ENews (12/3/12) reports: “What are the opportunities for bipartisanship on renewables heading into the next Congress? During today’s OnPoint, Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina, discusses the future of federal clean energy policy and his expectations for the wind production tax credit, which expires at the end of this year.”

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