The U.S. Department of Energy this week touted the growth of solar power, complete with an impressive chart that boasts, “Solar Generation Has a Bright Future.” Yet a closer look at solar’s overall role reveals that it represented just 0.14 percent of the total electric power generated and consumed in June. The …
This Friday, the House of Representatives will vote on the No More Solyndras Act, which would prohibit any new loan guarantees from Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. For applications that are already under consideration or have received conditional commitment, the bill would require the Secretary of …
The chief watchdog for the Environmental Protection Agency has recommended that the agency recoup $9 million in grant funds given to an Oregon non-profit – the entirety of the award – citing uncompetitive procurement costs, shoddy financial management, and inadequate reporting of information to the federal government. EPA awarded the …
The Obama Administration, at this sensitive time, is playing down its expansive regulatory agenda, but some insiders are predicting a new onslaught of costly rules—including the imposition of cap-and-trade schemes on industry. Although Congress rejected cap-and-trade legislation in 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains intent on effectively rationing the …
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touted President Obama’s record on reducing oil dependence in a speech delivered in Charlotte, NC, this week. Salazar pointed to a decrease in oil imports and an increase in oil production — especially on federal lands — as evidence of the efficacy of Obama’s policies. But, contrary to …
The Environmental Protection Agency’s world is chock full of external costs and external benefits that it must rectify with taxes, subsidies, and regulations. For instance, to cure this world of CO2-itis, the EPA, along with the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), recently released the latest version of the …
Venture corporatist Steve Westly benefitted personally and financially from President Obama’s push for green energy after supporting the president with major campaign contributions. Tonight he’ll take the stage in Charlotte, NC, for a high-profile speech. Westly heads up the California-based venture capital firm the Westly Group. He bundled more than $500,000 for Obama’s …
Reading President Obama’s latest Executive Order (EO) on industrial energy efficiency, one would think American companies were not interested in saving money and gaining a competitive advantage: While our manufacturing facilities have made progress in becoming more energy efficient over the past several decades, there is an opportunity to accelerate …
It’s difficult to believe that less than a year ago, proponents of expanding the natural gas industry insisted that it needed federal subsidies. But at least one prominent advocate is now singing a different tune. Back in December, billionaire T. Boone Pickens wrote in Politico: The problem is that there …
Small businesses are getting a lot of focus from politicians, because they are a key engine of job creation—which has stalled in the U.S. economy. A Republican National Convention theme of “We Built It” continued the political debate over the economy yesterday. A survey by the National Federation of Independent …
