In the Pipeline: 8/5/13
Actions speak louder than words.
The Washington Times (8/4/13) reports: “If the Obama administration is indeed waging a “war on coal,” as its critics contend, then newly minted Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz aims to build a bridge between the opposing camps. Since joining the administration about 10 weeks ago, Mr. Moniz — a Massachusetts Institute of Technology scholar who is considered to have one of the nation’s brightest minds on energy issues — has offered an olive branch to the besieged American coal industry, widely viewed as the mortal enemy of a White House bent on drastically reducing carbon emissions and doubling down on investments in renewable fuels such as wind and solar power, at the direct expense of coal. ‘There is no war on coal,’ Mr. Moniz insisted last week at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor. ‘We start by saying we must control CO2 emissions. So then, after many years of talking the talk, the issue is walking the walk in terms of developing the technology to control those emissions.’”
The last Republican governor to show this much love to wind and solar? Bob McDonnell.
Master Resource (8/2/13) reports: “‘What Governor McCrory has now acknowledged to an audience of advocates for forced utilization of wind and solar power is that, behind the scenes, he was using his influence with Republican lawmakers to block this reversal of one of the most egregious forms of crony capitalism on the books in North Carolina.’ Gov. Pat McCrory, speaking recently to the Appalachian Energy Summit in Boone, North Carolina, subtly and without fanfare dropped what has to be considered a bombshell. According to the Watauga Democrat, “‘McCrory drew applause from summit attendees when he said he stepped in to stop a legislative effort this year to end state subsidies for renewable energy development.’ McCrory is referring to legislation that was introduced early in the session to repeal substantial portions of 2007’s Senate Bill 3, which mandates that at least 7.5 percent of the electricity used by North Carolinians must come from renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Another 5 percent can come from reductions in energy usage, falsely referred to as energy efficiency. The mandates are a massive subsidy to these industries.”
Not familiar with North Carolina’s energy portfolio? IER has you covered.
The Institute for Energy Research (8/1/13) reports: “North Carolina does not produce oil and natural gas, even though there are potential offshore natural gas plays and the potential for onshore shale gas plays. Instead of producing some of its own energy resources, North Carolina imports oil and gas supplies from other states and overseas. The same is true for the coal that supplies the state’s coal-fired generating units. North Carolina primarily uses coal from West Virginia and Kentucky. The state’s electricity generation is mainly produced by coal, followed by nuclear power and natural gas. The residential and transportation sectors lead the state’s energy consumption, followed equally by the commercial and industrial sectors.”
Clarity would be good. Looking for clarity from this Administration is a fool’s errand.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (PDF) (8/2/13) reports: “Recent developments regarding the approval of new export facilities have generally met with praise from both supporter and skeptics of LNG exports. DOE claims the authority to modify or rescind prior approvals under two provisions of the Natural Gas Act (NGA): section 3(a) and section 16. Section 3(a) authorizes DOE to issue ‘supplemental orders’ that it finds ‘necessary or appropriate’ after providing an opportunity for hearing. Such orders must be ‘for good cause shown.’”
You might have missed this. But we did not.
The Capital Research Center (8/1/13) reports: “Some argue that a carbon tax would be a less harmful alternative to ever-greater environmental regulation, but the idea has such strong drawbacks that few conservatives are willing to support it. Still, non-conservative donors continue to push the scheme among conservatives. Is the carbon tax genuinely popular with conservatives and Republicans? For over a year, reports have been cropping up in the media about the supposed growth of conservative and Republican support for a carbon tax. A former congressman, Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), seems to be devoting himself to the project. The Christian Coalition, often identified as part of the ‘religious right,’ and some economists at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank associated with the Republican establishment, have spoken kindly about the idea.”
Speak Your Mind