E!! » energy

Missouri Energy Companies to Charge for Non-used Energy

E!! — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:54:10 +0000

Um… It is 6:07 a.m. and I am still on my first cup of coffee so I had to read parts of this KansasCity.com story twice before I would accept what Red State pointed out in a post in their morning brief.

The state of Missouri is on the verge of charging consumers a hefty fee for the energy they don’t use. Missouri governor Jay Nixon explains, “To save power is the equivalent of making power.”

(Hm. Where have I heard this “saved” equals “created” claim before? Oh yes! President Obama has repeatedly claimed that the actions of his administration have “saved or created” hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Got it.)

Anyhoo, here’s the AP reporter’s sum-up of the MO policy in a nutshell:

Though it might seem illogical, the new energy efficiency charge has support from utilities, most lawmakers, the governor, environmentalists and even the state’s official utility consumer advocate. The charge covers the cost of utilities’ efforts to promote energy efficiency and cut power use.

The assumption is that charging consumers for those initiatives ultimately will cost less than charging them to build the new power plants that will be needed if electricity use isn’t curtailed.

May seem illogical? How about inherently unfair? Anti-free market? How about downright criminal?

How about: if a new power plant is needed based on consumer demand, then you build it and charge for energy accordingly, and if it ain’t, you don’t? And how about: if people find ways to use less electricity, you let them keep and enjoy their savings? Or is that all way too simple and sensible for the MO governor and his pals?

Missouri’s state motto is “Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto,” which means, “Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.” If this energy policy passes, they ought to change the word “people” to “energy companies and their bureaucrat friends.”

(And don’t miss the part of the story where one of Missouri’s “popular” energy initiatives was for KCP&L to give consumers “free” thermostats – that can be remotely controlled:

One of the company’s more popular energy-saving initiatives has provided free programmable thermostats to about 34,000 residential customers in Missouri and Kansas. KCP&L can remotely control the devices to reduce the frequency at which air conditioners run during peak demand times. The power company overrode customers’ air conditioners four times last year and twice so far this summer, Caisley said.

Yup.)

The Need for Nuclear Energy

E!! — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:50:31 +0000

This paper is the best, most concise argument for nuclear power I’ve read yet. If you are against or on the fence on nuclear energy, you should read it and consider the facts. If you are already in favor, you’ll be delighted and probably learn a few things.

Be assured, this is not some partisan policy paper. It’s full of hard data and as such is very compelling. It has been entered into the Congressional Record twice (once during Senate testimony for the budget for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, once during a House hearing on environmental benefits of nuclear power).

The paper states that nuclear waste disposal “is a political problem in the United States because of widespread fear disproportionate to the reality of risk” and contends and concludes that nuclear power is in fact “environmentally safe, practical, and affordable.”

It includes facts and citations from the British Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Internationl Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Energy Council, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey, MIT, the Harvard School of Public Health, Houston’s Institute for Energy Research, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

One of the authors, Dr. Denis Beller, recently completed a sabbatical from Los Alamos National Laboratory to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he coordinated university participation for UNLV’s Transmutation Research Program for reducing, reusing, and recycling spent nuclear fuel. Beller is now a Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNLV and a Visiting Research Professor at Idaho State University.

The other author, Richard Rhodes, is a journalist, historian and author. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Making of the Atomic Bomb (1986), and most recently penned Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race (2007). Rhodes has been awarded grants from the Ford Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He is an affiliate of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and frequently gives lectures and talks, including testifying before the U.S. Senate on nuclear energy.

ATR Alert: American Energy Freedom Day

E!! — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:13:54 +0000

My friends at ATR reminded me that last night, September 30th, at midnight, the bans that have been in effect since 1982 on domestic shale oil and outer continential shelf drilling expired.

Don’t throw a parade just yet, though.

ATR points out that in February of this year there were 487 leases issued in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, which holds an estimated 15 billion barrels of oil, however – due to frivolous lawsuits – all 487 leases are delayed.

Also, there are 748 leases between two major seas in Alaska, the Chukchi and Beaufort, and exploration in every single lease was legally challenged in May of this year.

You may want to give your senator or congressman a call on this. And also feel free to give a shout out to congressional leaders Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid a call and tell them to pass expedited leasing, state profit sharing, and judicial review legislation. Here’s their info:

Sen Reid:

Reno, NV Office Contact:

Phone: 775-686-5750

Washington DC Contact:

Phone: 202-224-3542

Rep. Pelosi:

San Francisco, CA Office Contact:

Phone: (415) 556-4862

Washington, DC Office Contact :

Phone: (202) 225-4965

Yucca Mountain: The Answer to All Nevada’s Problems?

E!! — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:54:48 +0000

The LVRJ reports that the Department of Energy’s plans for a nuclear spent-fuel repository at Yucca Mountain inched forward Monday when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced it will conduct studies and have safety hearings on the plans. The NRC’s decision to accept a Yucca Mountain application onto its licensing docket is the latest step forward for the project and occurs over the objections of many of Nevada’s elected leaders.

This is a favorite topic of mine. I’m not necessarily “For Yucca” (the jury is still out) but I am for more public discussion while we decide if it is best for Nevada. Here’s a little background and what I know about the Pros for Yucca:

The great state of Nevada currently has a variety of problems: a large budget shortfall, high energy costs, water shortages, a floundering public education system, a lack of quality higher education opportunities, and road construction needs, to name a few. Money is not the sole answer to all, but it is sorely needed.

As recently reported in the Lousville Courier-Journal, uranium is selling for around $73 a pound. Given that We-Have-The-Technology to extract it from all the “worthless” nuclear waste, the recoverable uranium from/at Yucca Mountain would be worth about $7.6 billion. (Budget problems: solved.)

If Yucca Mountain became the site for our nation’s nuclear reprocessing center as well as the storage site for all the “waste,” Nevadans could/would benefit in the form of a lot of highly skilled high-paying jobs as well as lots of cheap electricity from the Nuclear Power Plant (which Nevadans should insist be part of the Yucca deal). (Job and Energy problems: solved.)

Some of the surplus money could be used to build a water pipeline from the Pacific to Yucca Mountain, where the power from the Nuclear Power Plant could be used to desalinate the ocean water in our world-class Desalination Center. This should be part of the long-term plan. And again, We-Have-The-Technology, given the ability to generate enough heat - which a nuclear reactor could easily do. (Water shortage problems: solved.)

Then, as a result of the Repository and with the Reprocessing and uranium extraction center, the Power Plant, and the Desalinization facility, we’d have every reason to establish a world-class Yucca Mountain Nuclear Technology University. And would have plenty of dollars left over for Nevada’s K thru 12 education budget. (Education issues: solved.)

Finally, the facilites at Yucca would likely lead to the necessity for a four-lane super highway connecting Yucca Mountain with Las Vegas and Reno (wouldn’t THAT be nice) plus enough extra money to build enough roads to solve all our other gridlock problems. (Road construction problems: solved.)

Countries like France produce 78% of their electrical energy from nuclear reactors and the EU as a whole gets 30% of its electricity from nuclear reactors…so why does the U.S. get only about 20% of its electricty from nuclear reactors?

Answer: stubborn, unreasoned obstructionism by people like Harry Reid, John Ensign, Shelley Berkley and others in Washington DC who oppose nuclear power (as well as the amazing facilities we could have at Yucca Mountain) despite the facts and possible benefits.

Good Grief

E!! — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:17:07 +0000

There’s one in every crowd. Or in this case, five…Republicans, that is, who are muddying the waters of the clearest issue facing the GOP this fall: energy and offshore drilling. In response to voter discontent over high gas prices and polling near 80% in favor of offshore drilling, the majority of GOP has (wisely) gone after the Dem anti-drillers in the House. Enthusiasm for the cause has given new life to conservative candidates who were losing oxygen in tight races.

Enter Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Isakson (R-GA) who, along with five Senate Democrats, have announced that their ”Gang of 10″ wants a “sweeping” and “bipartisan” energy plan to break the ”stalemate.” Sounds good, right?

Not really. The bill says new production on offshore federal lands would be left to the state legislatures, and then in only four coastal states. The regulatory hoops and hurdles are huge. The bill prohibits drilling within 50 miles of the coast — keeping some of our most potentially productive areas closed. ANWR would still be a no-go. AND the plan contains $84 billion in tax credits, subsidies and handouts for alternative fuels and renewables…to be paid for (drum roll) by raising taxes on oil companies!

Boys, we’ve been over this umpteen times: we need to open up all lands in all coastal states, keep the red tape to a minimum, drill wherever the oil is, tap ANWR, and get it straight that raising taxes on oil companies means raising the price of gas for consumers, because Big Oil will just pass the hikes down to the man at the pump.

These five Republicans need to re-think their agenda and quick, before November voters hit the ballot booths. If you wish to express your thoughts and feelings to any of the senators, here are links to their contact pages:

Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
John Thune (R-S.D.)
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga)
Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)

Yucca Talks

E!! — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:55:06 +0000

I’m glad Chuck Muth keeps talking about Yucca Mountain. Harry Reid says the debate is “over” and that the Yucca Repository will “never happen.” The thing is, Yucca never enjoyed the benefit of a full, open debate. It was quashed by Reid and Friends as “bad for Nevada” and that was That.

Here’s a flashback to some of my thoughts in early June:

“The United States Department of Energy submitted its license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 3,” wrote Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto in an op/ed in the Nevada Appeal. “Nevada’s experts reviewed the application and quickly concluded that it is neither viable nor complete.”

I’m wondering who these “Nevada experts” were. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short stint on NV’s political airwaves and especially in re: to Yucca Mountain, it’s that the word “expert” gets bandied around like nobody’s business and due diligence and follow-up questions are key to uncovering the truth. Very often, the so-called “expert” is some underqualified PR hack who is being paid to have the opinion he has.

I’d be willing to bet that some of these “Nevada experts” are people who have already come down against Yucca in the past. And shall we ask how they managed to sift through the 8,600 page application in less than a week in order to render their “expert” verdict…?

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to take three to four years to evaluate all the information before reaching its decision on whether or not to license the Repository…so who were these speed-reading geniuses that managed to do it in 4 days???

We keep seeing what looks an awful lot like co-ordinated, biased knee-jerk opposition over Yucca Mountain.

American Future Fund Strikes at Reid Again

E!! — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:31:31 +0000

AFF is on Reid’s case again, this time via the radio airwaves in Nevada. Here’s part of the transcript:

How’s Harry Reid using his position as Majority Leader to help lower gas prices? Reid and Congress just took a five week vacation – instead of working to lower gas prices. Congress found time to pass National Apple Month, but Reid continues to block votes to explore for energy in America.

America has huge energy reserves, but Congress has placed up to 85 percent of them off-limits. Reid repeatedly blocks efforts to lift the moratorium on safe exploration off our coasts. Reid opposes exploring a tiny portion of Alaska – less land than the Las Vegas airport – and he’s against developing our massive oil shale reserves.

Call Harry Reid: 702-388-5020. Tell him his vacation should end and the Senate should vote on S. 3202.”

Hat Tip: PolitickerNV

Porter: Right Issue, Right Time, Right Reasons

E!! — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:30:13 +0000

The Las Vegas Sun says Jon Porter’s (R-NV) recent energy petition is less about his tightly contested race with Democratic challenger Dina Titus and more about an overall Republican strategy to insert GOP-backed energy proposals into the House floor schedule over the past 7 weeks.

Not sure the Sun has it quite right. It’s a political axiom that the more birds you can kill with one stone, the better.

The Sun quotes a Republican strategist stating that “making energy No. 1 was a no-brainer.” So was having Porter push forward one of the petitions. It achieved the GOP’s agenda in D.C. and sent a message to Nevada voters that Porter is on the right side of the issue. Hope it’s enough to save Porter’s butt because – although he’s not as conservative as some of us would like – Dina Titus is an incurable taxaholic. Nevada does not need her in Washington.

W Says Special Session No Use

E!! — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:03:28 +0000

Some House Republicans are still carrying on their protest on the floor of the House. The White House says they will not answer the call for a Special Session because the majority leadership still sets the agenda and no one can force them to do an up-down vote on energy/offshore drilling.

Call, email or write to your House Democrat(s) now and demand that they return to D.C. and put offshore drilling (and other sound energy policy) to a vote.

Not Going Home

E!! — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:43:30 +0000

Here’s some video footage from the press conference that followed the Republicans’ attempt to reconvene the House on Friday. At one point it was stated that the Republicans are not going home until the Dems agree to re-adjourn and vote on energy – or until W. orders a Special Session. I hope they stick with it. Nobody in Congress has any business taking a vacation until the People’s business is done.