Tag Archives: Energy Economic Prosperity

Musings on Self-Sabotaging Energy Policies and a Reminder of the History of the Rise and Fall of Nations

Much has been discussed and written on the self-sabotaging of production of the sources of the primary energy that civil society depends. This article was inspired by a discussion with my senior engineer friend, Michael who emigrated to America from Russia in 1977. Michael and I had a discussion on the Russian Revolution and his musings of “why did Russia self destruct in 1917”? Before the Bolshevik Revolution, the Russian economy was a top economy of the world, ahead of France’s. In 1913 it was number four after the U.S., Great Britain and Germany. Frankly, I did not know that until last week, but in checking, Michael is correct. This led to my pondering why are so many U.S. policies (especially energy policies) designed to destroy our country? Look at the decline of German industrial production as a result of their energy policies. Another sobering video of world history from the viewpoint of Economic Strength is prepared by Ray Dalio and is on You Tube. Who are the individuals or organizations behind these anti-American and truly, anti-western civilization policies? I will list some below.

What are some other examples of countries whose economies climbed and then fell? Here are four: China, India, Argentina and Venezuela. The causes of the rise and fall of various nations can be attributed to many factors, the causes of which can be debated. The purpose for this article is to highlight the facts of history that remind us that once great nations or empires fell from greatness largely due to internal politics and policies. Today, reasonable cost, reliable and abundant Primary Energy is in fact, a vital key to a countries greatness and power. Here is a chart of the rise and fall of nations by Visual Capitalist.

In This Modern World, Energy is the Economy

The Biden war on the sources of the Primary Energy (on which We Depend) is Self-Sabotaging Keeping America Great.

Previous articles posted on my blog discuss some of the villains of American Greatness. My #1 pick of the top villain is the Washington, DC SWAMP. This is the one catch-all group that is the source of most resistance to keeping America great. The SWAMP is a complicated group comprised of many organizations, (millions of) Bureaucrats, Biased Judiciary and legal system that conducts Lawfare, NGOs, RINO’s, foreign governments, finance and banking and the Democrat political party. Who Are Some of the Enemies of Keeping America Great?

The Thirteen Headed SWAMP Monster

In previous blog posts I have referred to the six headed swamp monster, later changed to nine headed and today with the addition of the U.S. Legal system, Lawfare, Banking, Wealthy Billionaires and foreign government influence, the Swamp Monster now has Thirteen Heads. Here they are:

  1. The EPA (2, 6, 80, 83, 88 )
  2. NGOs such as the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund and many more (2, 6, 27, 28, 43, 47, 77, 81, 89, 93, 95, 96, 101, 102, 104,105,110,111 )
  3. Main Stream Media (3, 11, 21, 40 )
  4. Entertainment
  5. United Nations (20, 61, 62, )
  6. World Economic Forum (57,
  7. U.S. Democrat Party (30, 44, 65, 67, 68, 82, 27, 29,)
  8. Public education K-12 and Universities(3, 4, 5, 9)
  9. The “Swamp Bureaucrats” in addition to the EPA, who are employed by Federal and state government agencies creating excessively restrictive regulations and rules
  10. Leftist Lawyers practicing Lawfare and so-called “Environmental Justice” (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 23, 83, 88)
  11. Foreign governments (.25, 42, 43, 49, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 64, 68)
  12. Wealthy Billionaires( 46, 77, 78, 97 )
  13. Banking and Finance. World Bank, IMF and top financial institutions (112)

Godspeed President Trump!

President Trump is the best person to meet these challenges. The resistance is well dug in and reversing the Biden policies will be a challenge. I am sending my best wishes to President Trump, for success in slaying the DC Swamp Monster and for his Team’s effort to Keep America Great!

Dick Storm, January 13th, 2025

References for further Reading and Research:

The list below provides published news regarding the basis for my selection of the dozen entities listed above and now referred to as the “Twelve Headed Swamp Monster”

  1. Politico, “War on Coal” 2015: https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002/
  2. EPA and Environmental Extremists have a Revolving Door Employment Policy. Activists are employed in NGOs in waiting for a Democrat Presidential administrations to come into power and all the while exchange information with EPA 114th Congress, Majority Staff Report, Obama’s Carbon Mandate, August 2015.  http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  3. Real Clear Wire, “Here’s the Climate Dissent You’re Not Hearing About Because it is Muffled by Society’s Top Institutions” :  https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/09/13/heres_the_climate_dissent_youre_not_hearing_about_because_its_muffled_by_societys_top_institutions_978511.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=iJgazUr_XAtMm8bXcO-NbIzld7XNG9xSjxbQsPeA5uyvxxlevtyy6INEIV4bUTjx
  4. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
    Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  5. Dr. Judith Curry post on how Disinformation Industrial Complex is harming Trust in Science, June 2023: https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/
  6. EPA Sue and Settle Lawsuits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2013: https://www.uschamber.com/assets/archived/images/documents/files/SUEANDSETTLEREPORT-Final.pdf
  7. Updated Chamber of Commerce Report on the Harm done by “Sue and Settle” Lawsuits 2013-2016: https://dev.uschamber.com/assets/documents/u.s._chamber_sue_and_settle_2017_updated_report.pdf
  8. CO2 Coalition home page: https://co2coalition.org
  9. Dr. Richard Lindzen on Temperature of the Earth: https://climateactiontracker.org
  10. Clintel Declaration (European Scientists): https://clintel.org/world-climate-declaration/
  11. WUWT Timeline of Failed Climate Doomsday Predictions: https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline/
  12. Roy Spencer Web site: https://www.drroyspencer.com
  13. Heartland Institute: http://climatechangereconsidered.org
  14. Professor Richard Lindzen, MIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen#Views_on_climate_change
  15. Prof. Lindzen article in Tablet Magazine on China and his views on AGW: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/china-warming-richard-lindzen
  16. American Mind article by Dr. Richard Lindzen, Nov. 2024: https://americanmind.org/salvo/manufacturing-consensus-on-climate-change/
  17. Chinese Carbon Credits Scam investigation by German DW Magazine: https://www.dw.com/en/how-a-chinese-firm-ran-a-billion-euro-carbon-credit-scam/a-71010148
  18. Dr. Vinos interview on You Tube discussing natural Climate forces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7GdHPypAC8
  19. Heritage Foundation, “Climate Page” of Website: https://www.heritage.org/climate?mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGXfz3aREvIc4jAVmPqgO1KYBASQWFmxQ-BHw-RdsKU3zea2ONFX-HMz9iWNa3xxSVod5kd_G7r5LGVHI-fRyutA0OlgmXwc1DWzLyLX5vzmHHT47o
  20. IPCC Report Proves CO2 is Not an Emergency, Substack by Rob Schneider: https://rmschne.substack.com/p/ipcc-confirms-we-are-not-in-a-climate
  21. Competitive Enterprise Institute, 2019 article and references of; “50 Years of Failed Predictions of Environmental Activists”https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-of-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions/
  22. Heritage Foundation, “Climate Page”: https://www.heritage.org/climate?mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGXfz3aRIOsM-V1SirqN9euVM6CrLmE7mNXZhQ4H2glt9Gd_2YoZbmYOg5fUa5b7JmJoMHRBDVsGZP1lCmb_NkcC5x399HjWdkBQj0Z1KMzBL-m-oM
  23. Firebreak article on Lawfare on a Global Scale, Jan. 9, 2025: https://www.thefirebreak.org/p/supreme-court-should-crush-the-climate?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  24. Book: “Merchants of Despair” by Robert Zubrin, on Radical Environmentalists, CriminalPseudo-Scientists and the Fatal Cult of Antihumanism: Published 2012 by Encounter Books and again in 2016 by the Heartland Institute
  25. Capital Research Center video on China’s influence of American Environmental Policies: https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/
  26. Clintel Open Letter to U.N. Secretary General, June 23, 2023: https://clintel.org/open-letter-from-clintel-to-the-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres/
  27. Washington Examiner: Gina McCarthy CEO of NRDC: https://eelegal.org/washington-examiner-gina-mccarthy-and-nrdc-together-again/
  28. Ken Braun’s article on Jennifer Graham background at Capital Research Center, “Green Watch”: https://capitalresearch.org/article/bonkers-about-batteries-the-unauthorized-biography-of-jennifer-granholm/
  29. Dept. of Interior Sec’y Deb Harland on Utah Land which has energy reserves: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/15/deb-haaland-national-monument-protections-joe-biden-trump
  30. E & E News June 6, 2023. How Green New Dealers became Washington Power Players: https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-green-new-dealers-became-washington-power-players/
  31. Profile of the Department of the Interior, compiled by Robert Stilson of CRC: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-department-of-the-interior/
  32. CRC Profile of the Department of Energy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-department-of-energy/
  33. CRC on the EPA: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-independent-agencies/#environmental-protection-agency
  34. CRC on the WH Council on Environmental Quality: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#council-on-environmental-quality
  35. CRC on the WH Office of Domestic Climate Policy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#office-of-domestic-climate-policy
  36. CRC on the Office of Science and Technology Policy: https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/biden-administration-executive-office-of-the-president/#office-of-science-and-technology-policy
  37. CRC on environmental group connections in this blog post from June 2021: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nonprofits-in-the-biden-administration-special-interest-and-advocacy-groups/
  38. Science Matters on the Roots of Environmentalism, Jan 2023: https://rclutz.com/2023/01/06/from-nature-conservation-to-climate-calamity/#like-28807
  39. C. Paul Smith “Closing Argument on the Climate Change Hoax”:  https://www.cpaulsmith.com/palmyra-bookstore/the-climate-change-hoax-argument/
  40. The UK and European experiences with “Green Energy” should be a clear warning to the U.S.A., The Telegraph, June 11, 2023: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-s-green-energy-disaster-should-be-an-awful-warning-to-americans/ar-AA1compu?OCID=ansmsnnews11
  41. How the Greens Went Mainstream, Foreign Policy, April 2021: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/23/how-the-greens-went-mainstream/
  42. Russian Funding of Anti-Fossil Fuels Groups in U.S. March 2022, The Hill: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/596304-investigate-russias-covert-funding-of-us-anti-fossil-fuel-groups/
  43. Washinton Free Beacon article on EPA Requests DOJ to Investigate Dark Money to Environmental Activist Groups, October 2020:  https://freebeacon.com/national-security/epa-requests-doj-investigate-foreign-funding-of-environmental-groups/
  44. Dark Money accepted by Democrats from BlueGreen Alliance admission, Washington free Beacon May 24, 2023: https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/senate-finance-committee-dems-said-theyd-fight-dark-money-they-just-fawned-over-a-liberal-dark-money-operative/
  45. “So-Called” Democracy Alliance Investment Report, 2014: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1202744/da-portfolio2012-2014-042714.pdf
  46. Swiss Billionaire Bankrolls Biden Agenda through Arabella Advisors, Reported in Washington Free Beacon, April 4, 2023: https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/swiss-billionaire-bankrolls-biden-agenda-with-63-million-in-dark-money/
  47. Meet the Group behind Banning Gas Stoves, Rocky Mountain Institute Creates anti Gas Stove Campaign, partially funded by China, as reported in Washington free Beacon, January 16, 2023: https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/meet-the-green-energy-group-behind-the-study-thats-driving-calls-to-ban-gas-stoves/
  48. Stacey Abrams working with Group, Rewiring America, to Ban Gas Stoves. Group has ties with Chinese Funding, Washington Free Beacon, March 16, 2023: https://freebeacon.com/democrats/election-denier-stacey-abrams-is-now-working-to-eliminate-gas-stoves/
  49. Obama’s Man in China is now China’s Man in Washington, Max Baucus is talking head for China, Washington Free Beacon, May 21, 2020: https://freebeacon.com/national-security/obamas-man-in-china-now-beijings-man-in-washington/
  50. Numerous articles on Environmental Activists around the world, The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/us/topics/environmental-activism-3496
  51. BBC Report on 50 years of Activism, How the Biggest Environmental Movement Began April 2020: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200420-earth-day-2020-how-an-environmental-movement-was-born
  52. Meet the Activists, Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/meet-the-activists
  53. House Lawmakers Step Up Action on Green Groups Working with Foreign Countries, June, 2018, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-environment-congress-idUSKBN1JG204
  54. Washington Examiner, June 2018: Russian Groups Gave Millions to Green Groups to Fight Fracking in U.S.: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/russian-funded-environmental-group-gave-millions-to-anti-fracking-groups  
  55. GAO Report on Foreign Influence of U.S. Research, Oct. 2021: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105434
    81. FBI Investigating Foreign Influence of Jan. 6, 2020 Capital Riot, NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/fbi-probing-if-foreign-governments-groups-funded-extremists-who-helped-n1254525
  56. Capital Research Report on Combatting Foreign Influence of American Institutions, Robert Stilson, October 2020 : https://capitalresearch.org/article/combating-foreign-government-influence-in-american-institutions/  
  57. World Economic Forum Doesn’t Even Hide their Intent to Create Decline of the Western World: https://blackmon.substack.com/p/fridays-energy-absurdity-wef-isnt
  58. WEF Urban Mobility Paper, May 2023: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Urban_Mobility_Scorecard_Tool_2023.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  59. John Kerry Speech on “The Great Reset” New American, Nov. 2020: https://thenewamerican.com/john-kerry-talks-great-reset-at-world-economic-forum/
  60. John Kerry Targets Agriculture at WEF Speech, May 2023, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerry-targets-agriculture-part-climate-crusade
  61. The Uselessness of the United Nations to Improve World Peace, Prosperity and to Lift Poor Countries from Poverty. The U.N. Energy and World Peace: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  62. Vaclav Klaus and his book, “Blue Planet in Green Shackles”:
  63. Visual Capitalist, Over 2000 Years of Economic History in One Chart: http://www.visualcapitalist.com/2000-years-economic-history-one-chart/
  64. U.S. IRA Funds Given to China for Green Power, Cowboy News Jan. 2023: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/12/31/energy-dept-gives-more-taxpayer-money-to-chinese-companies-barrasso-demands-answers/
  65. Report of Uranium One Deal sale to Russia and Russian Influence of the Obama’s and Clintons, Fox News 2018 : https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II06/20190625/109694/HHRG-116-II06-20190625-SD004.pdf
  66. The Hill, Wikileaks Releases Alleged John Podesta emails on Russian Business dealings of Clintons and Obama, Oct. 10, 2016: https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/299904-wikileaks-releases-alleged-podesta-emails/
  67. Politico, What you Need to Know About Hillary Clinton and Uranium One Deal, Nov. 14, 2017:https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/14/hillary-clinton-uranium-one-deal-russia-explainer-244895
  68. China buying Russian oil, gas and coal, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/asian-buyers-russian-oil-gas-coal-2022-02-22/
  69. China-Russian Energy Deal, February 2022: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russia-china-may-sign-energy-other-deals-amid-moscow-tension-with-west-2022-02-03/
  70. Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as World’s largest oil supplier, June 20, 2022 Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-20/china-buys-7-5-billion-of-russian-energy-with-oil-at-record
  71. Korea Times, China depends on Sanctioned Russian Fuel, June 20, 2022: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/world/2022/06/501_331352.html
  72.  Government Accountability Office Report on Environmental Protection Agency–Application of Publicity or Propaganda and Anti-Lobbying Provisions EPA Lobbying, 2015: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-326944 
  73.  NRDC About us and link to IRS 990 Form: https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/about/
  74. Influence Watch, NRDC page: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/
  75. Washington Examiner: Gina McCarthy CEO of NRDC: https://eelegal.org/washington-examiner-gina-mccarthy-and-nrdc-together-again/
  76. Wrong Kind of Green, NRDC and Source Watch: https://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/the-group-of-ten/natural-resources-defense-council/
  77. Bezos awards $100 million to NRDC : https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/201116
  78. Bezos plans to give Billions to Environmental Org’s: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/jeff-bezos-pledges-1-billion-to-conservation-through-bezos-earth-fund.html
  79. Activist Facts,  Environmental Report (Follow the Money): https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  80. Washington Examiner 2013 EPA and Sue and Settle Lawsuits: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/epas-back-room-sue-and-settle-deals-require-reform
  81. Activist Facts, Sierra Club, Beyond Coal, Beyond Gas, Nuclear:https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/194-sierra-club/
  82. John Kerry, Far Left Support, Fox News Aug 2022: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerrys-climate-office-rife-ties-far-left-green-groups
  83. EPA Retains Tools to Harm Coal Power Production, Utility Dive, July 1, 2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/supreme-court-epa-GHG-carbon-power-plant/626456/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-07-01%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:42837%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  84. EIA 14.9 GW Total shutdowns planned in 2022, 12.6 GW coal: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50838
  85. Wind and Solar do not lower GHG Emissions for PJM, July 22, 2022, Real Clear Energy:https://www.realclearenergy.org/2022/07/22/wind_solar_fail_to_reduce_pjms_co2_emissions_843840.html?utm_source=rce-morning-volt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mailchimp-newsletter&mc_cid=0e024abebf&mc_eid=c7c23752b6
  86. Banning Modern Agriculture and High Crop Yields, EPA Rules, Paul Driessen, July 24, 2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/07/24/banning-modern-agriculture-and-high-crop-yields/
  87. EIA History of Renewable Energy Incentives March 2022: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-sources/incentives.php
  88. EPA New Source Review  Settlements Summaries: https://www.gem.wiki/EPA_Coal_Plant_Settlements
    EPA Settlements on NSR violations by WEPCO 2003: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/wisconsin-electric-power-company-wepco-clean-air-act-civil-settlement 
  89. Dissertation on the Sierra Club Success of Beyond Coal Campaign 2020: https://www.proquest.com/openview/b734be1b4fa402463fbb2ee03a7993e5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
  90. Inside the War on Coal Politico, The Agenda 2015: https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/05/inside-war-on-coal-000002/
  91. NRDC China Office: https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/ngos/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/  
  92. Government Accountability Office Report on Environmental Protection Agency–Application of Publicity or Propaganda and Anti-Lobbying Provisions
    EPA Lobbying, 2015: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-326944 
  93. NRDC About us and link to IRS 990 Form: https://www.nrdcactionfund.org/about/
  94. Influence Watch, NRDC page: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/natural-resources-defense-council-nrdc/
  95. Washington Examiner: Gina McCarthy CEO of NRDC: https://eelegal.org/washington-examiner-gina-mccarthy-and-nrdc-together-again/
  96. Wrong Kind of Green, NRDC and Source Watch: https://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/the-group-of-ten/natural-resources-defense-council/
  97. Bezos awards $100 million to NRDC : https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/201116
    Bezos plans to give Billions to Environmental Org’s: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/jeff-bezos-pledges-1-billion-to-conservation-through-bezos-earth-fund.html
  98. Activist Facts,  Environmental Report (Follow the Money): https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  99. Washington Examiner 2013 EPA and Sue and Settle Lawsuits: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/epas-back-room-sue-and-settle-deals-require-reform
  100. Activist Facts, Sierra Club, Beyond Coal, Beyond Gas, Nuclear: https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/194-sierra-club/
  101. Mother Jones 2012, Sierra Club “War on Coal” update to kill 167 coal plants: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/04/map-american-coal-plants/
  102. AEP Newsletter to employees and Retirees on Turk Plant Settlement: https://aepretirees.com/2011/12/22/aep-resolves-all-legal-challenges-against-turk-plant-plant-on-track-to-begin-commercial-operation-in-2012/
  103. PowerEngineering Articles on Turk and Duke Coal plant closures, 2/01/2012: https://www.power-eng.com/renewables/aep-resolves-all-legal-challenges-against-turk-plant/#gref
  104. Source Watch Brags on NRDC being responsible for forcing shutting down of Seven major coal plants in Texas in 2007: 
    https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Natural_Resources_Defense_Council#Support_for_coal_gasification
  105. Environmental Defense Fund: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Defense_Fund
  106. Influence Watch profile of EDF: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/environmental-defense-action-fund/
  107. Paul Driessen Federalist Papers on Global Warming News: https://thefederalist.com/category/science/global-warming/
  108. Dick Storm Blog Short Link, Energy and Food Production: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-vU
  109. WUWT, Article, July 8, 2022, Green Communism, Eradicate the Energy Privilege of Rich Countries:  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/07/08/green-communism-eradicate-the-energy-privilege-of-rich-countries/
  110. Hypocritical Germany is being brought to its knees
    Berlin loved to preach the virtues of net zero. Now it is being forced to confront its own policy failures “The Telegraph” July 2022: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://netzerowatch.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc920274f2a364603849bbb505%26id%3Dd82a27da35%26e%3D9e46528ac6&source=gmail&ust=1657801743497000&usg=AOvVaw0CITru9QpdtRsT0GoCul0L
  111. “CDP: The Incredible Shapeshifting NGO”, by David Zarouk in Substack, “Firebreak” January 13, 2025 : https://www.thefirebreak.org/p/cdp-the-incredible-shapeshifting?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  112. World Bank Limits Funding of New Coal Plants: https://www.eco-business.com/news/coal-power-financing-restricted-world-bank-energy-policy/
  113. Vaclav Smil, “Net Zero is Not Going to Happen”, Fraser Institute, June 2024: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050.pdf
  114. CO2 is NOT a Pollutant and Humans Cannot Regulate It, by Professor Murray Salby, 2016: https://expose-news.com/2024/06/08/carbon-isnt-a-pollutant-humans-cannot-regulate-it/  
  115. Excellent Presentation on Climate and Energy for the General Public :  https://rumble.com/v2l3sqy-climate-and-energy.html
    You Tube Presentation on the Influence of the Sun on Earth’s Climate, also at 3 minutes 10 seconds into the video, the recent excellent paper on Net Zero Carbon by William Happer, Richard Lindzen and W. A. van Wijngaarden is discussed, (link below) June 12, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfhbEDuZXDs
  116. CO2 Coalition Paper. Net Zero Averted Temperature Increase: https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Net-Zero-Averted-Temperature-Increase-2024-06-11.pdf
  117. WUWT-August 2024, “Anthropogenic Warming is Political Science, Not Physical Science”    :  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/08/13/anthropogenic-global-warming-is-political-not-physical-science/
  118. Climatism Blog, Background of the Global Warming Scare: https://climatism.blog/2018/12/19/draconian-un-climate-agenda-exposed-global-warming-fears-are-a-tool-for-political-and-economic-change-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-actual-climate/
  119. WUWT on Sea Level Rise using 19th century photos of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/08/06/despite-alarmists-denials-statue-of-liberty-photos-expose-sea-level-rise-acceleration-failed-projections/
  120. Dr. Roger Pielke, jr., “The Honest Broker” Sub-stack Story of Environmental Science from his viewpoint, Dr. Mike Hulme: https://open.substack.com/pub/rogerpielkejr/p/from-idealism-to-realism?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  121. he Changing World Order, You Tube video by Ray Dalio, April 2025. A chilling reminder of world history from an economic strength viewpoint. Well done, worth the 45 minute watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xguam0TKMw8

Heaven Runs on Righteousness Earth Runs on Energy

The Biden-Harris Administration and Congressional Democrats are Self Righteous, Environmental Zealots with low energy IQ’s, they are seriously misguided and have created anti-American energy policies that are impossible to achieve. These self righteous Bureaucrats and elected officials are detached from energy reality and are destroying our country. As the quote by Churchill’s Minister of Labour said, “Heaven Runs on Righteousness and the Earth Runs on Energy” Biden, Harris and the Democrats do not understand this.

My retired engineer friends and me are amongst the 5% or so of Americans that understand energy and electricity generation.  These enviro-zealot government policy makers have been placed in office by the 95% majority that does NOT understand energy and electricity generation. 

The majority of Americans have been misguided into believing carbon is an existential threat, worse than nuclear weapons or other catastrophes.

How? by the Main Stream Media, Entertainment personalities, “Woke” corporations and misguided, low energy IQ politicians. 

President Biden has stated that Climate Change is an Existential Threat Facing Humanity  He is wrong. The war on carbon is the threat to America’s future. 

Coal power has provided the foundation of America’s Industrial strength and our high quality of life. Coal continues to be important, especially during times of peak Demand. Especially winter. For Industrial production, coal is used to produce 70% of the world’s steel, 90% of cement and 61% of the aluminum.

Energy is the Lifeblood of a Developed Country’s industrial productive capacity, social functioning, food production and job creating economy. The environmental Zealots are doing their best to bleed out the energy Lifeblood of our country.

Energy is the economy, it fuels our way of life and supports a strong national defense.

One Engineer’s Steam Venting Rant

Yes, some may say I am a grumpy old man. Well, maybe I am. As I see it, I have a lot to be grumpy about. I am not alone, I know dozens of other veteran engineers that worked the same productive decades I did, beginning in the 1960’s. We studied and worked hard, long hours and we did our best to contribute to building a better America. Especially, the reliable, affordable electric Grid. After working for over 50 years to do our parts in building the “Largest Machine in the World” the American Electric Grid, here we are watching as misguided enviro-zealots destroy the foundation of what we helped build. These enviro-zealots have low energy IQ’s, nearly zero understanding of how reliable power generation functions and as they work against the fuels we depend on. Worse yet, they do not seem to care about the consequences for our country.

I predict that Blackouts will become more common and power costs will continue to escalate, thanks to the Net-Zero carbon path the U.S. is on. The “Inflation Reduction Act” codified the “Green New Deal” into law and the increased anti carbon Regulations of the EPA and other Alphabet soup Federal agencies have America on a perilous path.

This winter will be difficult and it is likely that there will be more lives lost, such as Texas experienced in 2021 with the winter Blackouts. I am steamed up and this commentary is my way of venting that steam.

Electricity in the 1950’s to 1970’s

Let me quote a 1950 magazine ad by Babcock & Wilcox. The last line reads:

“B&W will cooperate with our busy Utilities for still further improvement-in service-and a way of life-that have made America great and strong”

My compliments to B&W, C-E, FW, G-E, Westinghouse, Riley, Alis-Chalmers, DeLaval (and many other fine U.S. supply-chain companies with hundreds of thousands of employees) and the electric Utility industry, yes they succeeded to make America Great and Strong!

For over a hundred years, America had the most reliable, most reasonable cost electricity Grid of any major nation. America set the standard of being the best at providing affordable and dependable electricity. The economy grew and the use of coal paralleled the growth of GDP.

Then the “War on Coal” began. I am still at a loss as to why there was so much angst against the very fuel that powered America through two World Wars and built the largest industrial economy in the history of the world. I have written much on the war on coal and some of the people and organizations that promoted the “Self Inflicted Electricity Crisis (1,2,3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9,10,11) If you wish more background, much has been published, kindly read the referenced commentaries and references included at the end.

Here are some of my personal experiences and some of the reasons why I am irritated at the enviro-zealots.

America Had Over 100 Years of Affordable, Reliable, Abundant and Dispatchable Electricity Until the War On Coal Began in the 1990’s. Now, the Infra-Structure that provided the Foundation of our Reliable Electric Grid is Being Destroyed by Policymakers that are either misinformed or they have low energy IQ’s and  have NOT done their homework. U.S. Energy Policymakers have created this crisis, right before our eyes.
 
In 2010 about 30% of the U.S. Electricity Generation Capacity was provided by Coal Fueled Power Plants and right at 50% of electricity generation was from coal fuel. Since 2010 about half of these have been shut down. Suitable replacement of new electricity generation should have been built first before destroying about half of the reliable coal plants in America. A Balanced Portfolio would and should have included new nuclear plants, new High Efficiency, Low Emissions (HELE) coal plants and of course, natural gas combined cycle plants.  

At least 125,000 MW’s of New, In Kind Generation Capacity should have been built before destroying the existing reliable, affordable and Dispatchable coal plants.


I will attempt to explain what is being done to destroy electricity reliability and what should be done:
 
Here is an example of a typical large Utility Coal Power Plant. The Roxboro Generating Plant of Duke Energy near Roxboro, NC. The first unit started up in 1966 and Unit #4 in 1980. This one is special to me, because I was the startup engineer for Unit #3 in 1973 and I worked at the plant on all four units for several different companies over my career. So, I am very familiar with all the plant major equipment.

This plant when operating at 2500 MWh and an 80% load factor will consume about 700 tons of coal per hour. This is seven full railroad coal cars. When operating as designed, it would consume about six million tons of coal per year.  Let me compare this large Thermal Plant with a large Hydro Plant, say the Robert Moses Hydro-Electric plant at Niagara Falls. This one thermal power plant in Roxboro produces as much as this huge facility and it fits on a real-estate parcel of a few thousand acres. The Robert Moses hydroelectric plant is powered by rainwater runoff from eight U.S. states and one Canadian Province. The outflow of most of the water from the Great Lakes flows to the Niagara River and through the hydroelectric generators installed there.

Comparison of Energy Density, Coal, Hydro and Solar

How Much Power Generation is 2500 MW? Did You Ever Visit Niagara Falls? The U.S. Side New York Power Authority Generation Station that uses the American share of the total outflow of the Great Lakes is about the same size in Electricity Generation Capability as the Roxboro Coal Plant.
The energy density of hydroelectric power is very low, it takes enormous amounts of land area and elevation change to provide the potential for hydroelectric generation. In North America, all the large sources of falling water have been utilized.
Solar power to replace a coal plant the size of Roxboro has an even lower energy density, and it would require between 40 and 160 square miles of land area to provide intermittent 25% capacity factor generation when the weather permits. With battery storage, about 160 square miles would be required to replace a 2500 MW fossil plant. Even then solar power is weather dependent on clouds and sunshine. On reliability, a snowstorm will reduce output to zero and a hailstorm destroy the capacity for months until the panels can be replaced. 

So, What’s the Problem?

Over 122,000 MW of electric power generation capacity has been demolished. This is the equivalent of 50 power plants the size of Roxboro Generating Station or the size of the Robert Moses Hydro-electric plant in Niagara Falls, NY.

There has NOT been a major new coal plants built in the U.S. since 2013.  Yet, America is the Saudi Arabia of coal and within our country is the highest quality, high BTU, low ash coal found on the planet.

Low Energy IQ Decision in Minnesota

Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota presided over the war on coal in Minnesota. Cheered on by CNN, here is the article where Minnesota and the “Woke” Utility serving that area have decided to shut down the very reliable Sherco Coal Plant (about 2700 MW) and replace it with solar panels. I am not kidding. Here is the link to the CNN article. From an energy and electricity planning standpoint, this is ludicrous. I have worked at the Sherco plant and it is, or at least was well run and well maintained. Like Roxboro Plant mentioned above, capable of generating electricity 24/7 in any kind of weather. Including during snow storms, hail storms, and cloudy days. This is irresponsible at the least. To be fair, it had to be agreed to by Xcel Energy’s “Woke” top management, who obviously have to know better? In my mind, I am at a loss to understand how Utility management can accept pressure from the government without educating the public and pushing back on un-American regulations. When Sherco is shut down, the winters in Minnesota will be more expensive and more difficult for the industries and residents.

Here are a couple of quotes from the CNN article by Xcel Energy President when talking about replacing the coal generation with solar panels: “It allows us to move much more quickly,” said Ryan Long, Xcel Energy’s Minnesota president, who called reusing the plant’s infrastructure “a real key to our strategy here.”

“We’re a good wind and solar state,” Wyckoff said. “Anything we burn that’s fossil fuel, we are importing. We are making the wind and solar electricity here.”

It’s also a huge step forward for Minnesota’s climate and clean energy goals. Under its Democratic governor and 2024 vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, the state is aggressively trying to decarbonize its power sector — getting to 100% clean electricity by 2040.

“That is a key driver for how we’re going to decarbonize the rest of the economy,” Wykoff said. “We’re aiming to be clean economy-wide by 2050. And I think we can get there.”

Hmmm, I suggest revisiting the viability of solar to replace coal in January or the next Polar Vortex.

From CNN News report on replacing 2700 MW Sherco Coal Plant with Solar in MN : https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/16/climate/coal-to-solar-minnesota/index.html

How Do We Treat the Most Reliable, Most Affordable Electric Generating Plants in the U.S.?

The picture above is the implosion of the Sutton Unit #3 at Duke Energy near Wilmington, NC. This one is also personal to me, because I was also the lead Boiler Startup engineer in charge in 1972 when Sutton #3 went into commercial operation. 

To generate 122,000 MW, (a conservative estimate of the total reliable coal generation capacity destroyed since 2010) it would take 290 plants like this

Who is Cheering as these Reliable Coal Plants are Demolished?

The Sierra Club website keeps score on their “Beyond Coal” Campaign and they show 385 total coal Units shut down since 2010. According to the Sierra Club, only 145 to go.

Oh yes, there are in fact other’s that are cheering for America to sabotage our electric Grid…..

Two fair questions can be asked:

1. Who cares?

2. Do we really need these old coal plants? 


I will answer the questions with an emphatic Yes, I care and Yes, we need them!  We do need the remaining 145 coal plants.
 
What Should America be Doing?
In my opinion, we should be building new nuclear power plants right now. Also, at least 50 new HELE (High Efficiency, Low Emissions) 2500 MW coal plants. Until a new and expanded nuclear fleet can be designed, built constructed and proven, we should reinforce our electricity Grid with more conventional and Dispatchable generation.
 
A coal plant handles the “Energy Storage” security concern by having the inherent capability of storing months of fuel on site. Electricity generation is Not dependent on “just in time” pipeline provided gas flow.
 
Overall, America produces about 16% of our electricity from coal fuel. However, three important differences of coal plants compared to solar and wind are: 
Coal power is Dispatchable. Coal plants can be ramped up in power output to match the Demand. Wind and solar are intermittent and are therefore, Non-Dispatchable. Some advantages of a coal plant:

  1. Fuel Storage on site
  2. Coal power is less expensive to produce
  3. Coal power generation is dependable in all weather conditions, 24/7
  4. The greatest need for coal plants come at peak Demand hours in the summer and the winter. Especially winter.
     
    Energy Powers Economic Prosperity 
    Reasonable electricity cost is especially important for Industrial production. For example, production of primary metals such aluminum, steel and copper use enormous amounts of electricity. Aluminum smelting requires 5 kWh per pound of aluminum smelted from aluminum oxide. That 5 kWh does not include the processing of Bauxite into alumina, transportation and ingot remelting, forging or sheet production. In my state of S.C. we have an aluminum smelter operated by Century Aluminum and a couple of steel mills operated by NUCOR. These use hundreds of Megawatts of power and that power must be of reasonable cost to remain competitive. 
     
    When it comes to economic strength, it is Industrial production that provides the jobs that allow families to prosper. Over 40% of the world’s primary energy use is for primary metals production and manufacturing.
    Reasonable cost, reliable electricity generation is a pre-requisite for Economic Prosperity and especially, job providing Industrial production.

What About Wind and Solar? Can these Renewables Replace Fossil Fuels?

In terms of PRIMARY Energy, wind and solar, after decades of subsidies, provide an insignificant quantity of America’s Primary Energy

Credit Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/203325/us-energy-consumption-by-source/

The war on coal fueled power stations is contributing to the coming electricity reliability crisis. The War on Coal” is self-Inflicted and anti-American. Wind and Solar cannot replace the PRIMARY Energy of coal, nuclear and gas. Six materials that our society depends on require enormous amounts of energy and cannot be electrified: Steel, Aluminum, Plastics, Ammonia Fertilizer and Cement. 

Electricity is Secondary Energy.  Electrifying everything is impossible and needs to be evaluated by a new President and Congressional Leaders that care about the future of our country. Biden-Harris and the Democrats act as if they are puppets of Xi Jinping, Putin and the Ayatollah, working to weaken the U.S. from within.

So, What about China and the Rest of the World?

In 2023, more coal was burned in the world than ever in recorded history. Developing countries and the second largest economy of the world China are lifting people from poverty and increasing manufacturing using conventional forms of power generation, including coal. China now has over 400 new ultra-supercritical, coal plants either in permitting stages or under construction. China uses about 56% of the world’s total coal consumption to power its manufacturing economy. Long story short on the “Earth Running on Energy”, China Gets it!

China uses about 10 times the coal consumption of the U.S. In fact, China accounts for 56% of global coal demand. In 2022, coal provided more than 60% of China’s power generation.

What Would it Take to Replace Fossil Fuels for Electricity Generation?

The 2023 book by Donn Dears outlined what it would take to replace coal and gas power generation in the U.S. Here is his summary:

Nuclear power is the largest carbon free form of electric power generation and the best hope for the future. However, as Mr. Dears points out, it would take about 31 nuclear plant expansions such as that just completed last year at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle. That 2,200 MW expansion took over ten years to complete. Now how feasible is it for the U.S. supply-chain (including skilled talent) to build 31 Plant Vogtles every year from now till 2050?

Conclusions

America has NO Energy Policy only a Decarbonization Policy Only Climate Policies that attack the very fuels that our country depends upon. The Net-Zero Carbon Path that America is on will weaken if not destroy our country’s productive capacity. Worse yet, if CO2 emissions are a concern, then shutting down all of America’s coal plants will not make a difference anyway. Further, the science of Anthropogenic Climate Change is NOT settled and there are many Scientists that have strong arguments that the consumption of carbon is only a minor contributor to Climate Change. So, why destroy America’s productive capacity and cede further manufacturing jobs to China or other countries of the world? Especially when the so called “Climate Crisis” is really Climate Fraud. (181, 182)

Much of this was presented at the Liberty University CEO-Summit September 24th in Lynchburg, VA.

Yours truly,

Dick Storm, October 3, 2024

Note: To give credit where it is due, the title is a paraphrase of Churchill’s Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin. The full quote attributed to him: “The Kingdom of Heaven Runs on Righteousness, The Kingdom of Earth Runs on Energy”

References and further research

  1. Dick Storm Blog: The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be” October 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  2. Energy and World Peace, April, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  3. The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  4. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  5.  Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  6. Dick Storm Blog post, “Wake Up Americans!” Sept. 21, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  7. THE ERA OF RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION: PART 1
  8. https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/10/04/the-era-of-reliable-affordable-energy-and-electricity-generation-part-1/
  9.  The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  10. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 2, “Meet Some of the People that Caused it”,  June 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/14/green-energy-crisis-part-2-meet-the-policy-makers-that-caused-it/
  11. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 3, June 26, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/26/green-energy-crisis-part-3-public-energy-education-is-needed-each-person-in-the-u-s-uses-about-315-million-btus-of-primary-energy-year-this-is-not-practical-or-even-possible-to-replace-with-win/
  12. PJM Winter Operations Resources: https://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2023/05/2023-05-18-egoc-a3-3-pjm-post-winter-2022-23-review.pdf
  13. “Clean Energy Crisis, the Challenge of Replacing Fossil Fuels”, by Donn Dears. 2023, Seahill Press, Inc. 
  14. Manhattan Contrarian article on Electricity Prices in Germany and the world, including the U.S. Great chart of electricity process ranked from highest to lowest, Sept. 7th, 2024: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2024-9-7-in-germany-the-energy-transition-situation-only-gets-worse
  15. Global Energy Monitor Report of Existing Coal Plants in U.S. 2013: https://www.gem.wiki/Existing_U.S._Coal_Plants
  16. NERC Summer 2024 Reliability report, June 21, 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/PA/Performance%20Analysis%20DL/NERC_SOR_2024_Technical_Assessment.pdf
  17. EIA Total Primary Energy Used in 2023: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
  18. EIA Electricity Production in 2023 by fuel source: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20about%204%2C178%20billion,facilities%20in%20the%20United%20States.&text=About%2060%25%20of%20this%20electricity,%2C%20petroleum%2C%20and%20other%20gases.
  19. NMA Importance of Coal for Electric Reliability: https://nma.org/2024/04/01/coal-energy-stability/
  20. Global Energy Monitor on Coal Plants in 2023, China has more than 50% of World Coal Capacity: https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-coal-2024/
  21. Duke Energy info on Roxboro Plant: https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/power-plants/roxboro-plant
  22. EIA Coal Consumption 2023, 422 Million Tons: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62484#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20coal%20transported%20to%20power%20plants%2C%20which%20are,consumption%20to%20reverse%20this%20year.
  23. Coal Hub, Coal Use in China, 2023 about 4 Billion Tons: https://thecoalhub.com/chinese-coal-consumption-over-4-billion-tons-in-2023.html#:~:text=Chinese%20coal%20consumption%20reached%20over%204%20billion%20tons%20in%202023.
  24. IEA World Coal Consumption Report 2023: https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2023/demand
  25. Sierra Club, Climate, Energy and Beyond Coal website: https://www.sierraclub.org/climate-and-energy  
  26. Dr. Lars Schernikau, “Coal or Gas, Do We Have a Choice?” : https://unpopular-truth.com/2024/09/14/natural-gas-or-coal/?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=2024-09-14%20Natural%20Gas%20or%20Coal&utm_medium=email
  27.  WSJ on California Rolling Blackouts, Sept. 8, 2024: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/californias-lights-are-out-and-gavin-newsom-isnt-home-energy-power-f51913f5?mod=djemMER_h
  28.  Todd Snitchler, Electric Power Supply Association, “Has the Electricity Reality Check Arrived”, WUWT : https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/09/06/has-the-electricity-reality-check-arrived/
  29. EPA Air Pollution Trends: https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary
  30. The Coming Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of Coal, Sept. 12, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/09/12/the-electricity-reliability-crisis-and-the-importance-of-american-coal/
  31. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  32. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  33. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  34. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster     :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/
  35. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 
  36. Largest Solar Plant in U.S. 874MW plus 3287 MWh storage, 4660 acres, Edwards-Sanborn in CA: https://www.mortenson.com/projects/edwards-sanborn-solar-plus-storage
  37. PV Magazine on Edwards-Sanborn Plant: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/01/22/largest-us-solar-storage-project-goes-online/
  38. Great Plains Institute on Land Area Required for Solar: https://betterenergy.org/blog/the-true-land-footprint-of-solar-energy/
  39. EIA Solar Update, 2021: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46416
  40. FPL, Manatee Energy Center 751 acre, 74.5 MW Solar Farm, FL: https://www.fpl.com/content/dam/fplgp/us/en/energy-my-way/pdf/fpl-solar-fact-sheets/FPL%20Manatee%20Solar%20Energy%20Center%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
  41. EIA Capacity Factors of Solar Farms 16-29%: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39832
  42. Nuclear Generation Statistics 1971-2023: https://www.nei.org/resources/statistics/us-nuclear-generating-statistics
  43. EIA Nuclear Generation Capacity of U.S. Nuclear Fleet about 95 GW: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
  44. Duke Energy Plans replacement of coal plant generation with SMR’s, Neutron Bytes: https://neutronbytes.com/2023/08/21/duke-energy-plans-replacement-of-coal-plant-with-smr/
  45. EIA U.S. Electricity Generation and Sales Data, July 2024: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php
  46. NERC-Chart of Long Term Reliability Assessment, Areas of Concern, 2023: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_Infographic_2023.pdf
  47. Global Energy Monitor, U.S. Coal Generation Capacity 2011=314 GW or about 17%: https://www.gem.wiki/Existing_U.S._Coal_Plants
  48. American Public Power Report on Generation Capacity in U.S., 2024: https://www.publicpower.org/system/files/documents/Americas-Electricity-Generation-Capacity-2024.pdf
  49. Primary Energy Chart by Statista, 2023:  https://www.statista.com/statistics/203325/us-energy-consumption-by-source/U.S.  
  50. Grid Operators Beg Court to Nix EPA Rules to Save Electricity System From Collapse, Inevitable Blackouts and Grid Reliability will Result from EPA Rules, WUWT, Sept. 18, 2024:https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/09/18/inevitable-and-foreseeable-grid-operators-beg-court-to-nix-epa-rules-to-save-electricity-system-from-collapse/
  51. Daily Caller, Grid Operator Warns Democrats, Climate Policies are Pushing NY-ISO toward Blackouts, Sept. 2024: https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/11/nyiso-grid-climate-pushing-new-york-blackouts/
  52. Andy May, Petrophysicist article on the Economic cost to eliminate Fossil Fuels: https://andymaypetrophysicist.com/2022/05/28/the-economic-cost-of-eliminating-fossil-fuels/
  53. Watts Up With That, “The U.N. and Biden Want Net-Zero, While China Opts for Energy Realism” :  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/09/18/the-un-and-the-biden-administration-want-net-zero-for-the-u-s-while-china-opts-for-energy-realism/
  54. “The Folly of Climate Leadership,” Net-Zero and Brittain’s Disastrous Policies, by Rupert Darwall, Dec. 2023: https://assets.realclear.com/files/2023/12/2321_2320_realclear-report-rupert-darwall-v7_1.pdf
  55. Zero Emissions Grid Follies. Francis Menton and Stephen Heins on Spanish Island with 100% Green Power: https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/the-zero-emissions-grid-demonstration?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  56. PA Oil and Gas Association on the importance of Energy: https://pioga.org/just-the-facts-fossil-fuels-essential-to-four-essential-materials-that-support-civilization/
  57. IEA Food Production cost component of Energy: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/how-the-energy-crisis-is-exacerbating-the-food-crisis
  58. Thomas Shepstone repost of “If you Want to Electrify Everything, Think Again” : https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/if-you-want-to-electrify-everything?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  59. POWER Magazine Commentary by Michelle Bloodworth of America’s Power, “EPA No Win Rule for the Electricity Grid” July 2, 2024: https://www.powermag.com/blog/epas-no-win-rule-for-the-electricity-grid/?oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  60. POWER Magazine, Transformer Crisis, An Industry on the Brink”,  July 2024: https://www.powermag.com/the-transformer-crisis-an-industry-on-the-brink/?oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  61. Daily Sceptic, Net Zero Cure is far worse than the Disease: https://dailysceptic.org/2024/07/04/the-net-zero-cure-is-far-worse-than-the-disease/
  62. Rockefeller Foundation Funding of Extremists and Un-American Causes, July 2024: https://elizabethnickson.substack.com/p/the-rockefellers-created-990-climate
  63. Roger Pielke on Extreme Climate, May 2024 Based on Testimony to U.S. Congress: https://www.aei.org/articles/schrodingers-climate-cat/
  64. Good You Tube Presentation on Paris Climate Goals Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaaJqPCjNr4
  65. Vaclav Smil for Fraser Institute, “Why Net Zero is Impractical and Unrealistic”: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050
  66. Scam of the Century, Ridding the World of Crude Oil Without a Replacement is Global Suicide”, by Ron Stein and Gregory Whitestone, July 2024: https://www.americaoutloud.news/scam-of-the-century-ridding-the-world-of-crude-oil-without-a-replacement-is-global-suicide/
  67. IEA July 2024 Energy Update:  https://sg-mktg.com/MTcyMTYyMTgwMHxrZlpDTEdkRkZMZ0tHWVFMYVFuMVZBbWZySDlGcElRQmJ0VEVhdFl5cGthUUxKa2ZEc3lGN1BzMzJjTG1pM01xX0VZRGNtV1VpUm56SFRrNG5zdG82RlJUZ2swaFF1VFRMakc0aU1sVEc2LUluSTZLZENtdWpTS1VrWEdUZFltdXVoV2l1ckYxWFhjSHFsdHlHZDEzbzhXYmU3VVVwLUg3MUVMRDNpZ0FocXBmcXA3SHdTM2dfdHAzMjRWOUZLOGcwOE9qaWZPUF8zUGdMU19JejNDdFpGeWhkNmJTQnNPVjVHWm5CaU5aUmRYR3ZJUUJ4ODhseGlabk5COWRvSGkzdktnUlJmUFhwaHc0fDl_YPz0gZfDU8sTlcNMy-ycMzjsUi1GTlDCCSS_k6TW?utm_campaign=IEA+newsletters&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=SendGrid
  68. IEA Coal Report, July 2024: https://www.iea.org/news/global-coal-demand-is-set-to-remain-broadly-flat-through-2025
  69. EPI-Statistical Review of World Energy for year 2023, published June 2024: https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review/resources-and-data-downloads
  70.  America’s Power.org on the shortage of Electricity Generation Resources in the Future, It is NOT Transmission Lines we need, it is more Dispatchable Generation, by Michelle Bloodworth: https://americaspower.org/clogged-interconnection-queues-wont-solve-resource-adequacy-problems/  
  71. NERC Warns of Possible Gas Shortage for Winter, Sept. 19, 2024: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nerc-sounds-alarm-over-winter-gas-supplies-potential-grid-impacts-2024-2025/727460/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-09-19%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:66016%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  72. Natural Gas Supply Association of Companies, Plan for handling Winter Peak Demand, Sept. 2024: https://www.ngsa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Natural-Gas-Winter-Preparedness-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  73. Daily Signal on U.N. Policy to eliminate Fossil Fuels, Sept 25, 2024: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/09/25/phasing-out-fossil-fuels-will-leave-the-globe-poor-hungry-and-sick/?mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGVzwC2snGpCwRuOHknHfpRIFPOT9z9DhiF_eQKLAb1xS_HNzu7STzSDhmBuh7cjCzNe3e2II7BQWjjGL4vOXGzhnJNcrXMFMVNeAAMr0SDSSR0o1g
  74. CEI-  “50 Years of Failed Predictions of Environmental Extremists”: https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-of-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions/
  75. Good summary of Climate Science:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoxLY7GdbLg
  76. The Importance of Synchronous Inertia of Conventional Power Generation to Stabilize Grid Frequency: https://open.substack.com/pub/greennuke/p/why-is-grid-inertia-important?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  77. NERC Standards for Frequency Control: https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Reliability%20Standards/PRC-024-3.pdf
  78. South Africa, Eskom, Solar and Wind Impact on Reliability, by Head Grid Operator: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/562629-solar-and-wind-power-warning-from-the-woman-preventing-eskom-grid-collapse.html
  79. WUWT Home Climate Page: https://wattsupwiththat.com/webapp/root.html/
  80. National News (UK) on Energy, Sept. 30, 2024, UK Ends 140 years of coal use: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2024/09/30/britain-shuts-last-coal-power-station-and-draws-a-close-to-historic-steel-plant/?utm_source=The+National+newsletters&utm_campaign=07f3d766fb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_07_09_02_20_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-138f6bcf16-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
  81. Finland’s GTK Outstanding Website on the limits of Materials. Also, the Future and Challenges/Futility or Impossibility of the Free Western World government’s “Net-Zero Carbon” Path: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/
    https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/downloads/
  82. Anthony Watts on the Polar Vortex Weather Pattern: https://climaterealism.com/2024/01/false-axios-climate-change-isnt-altering-the-polar-vortex/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Heartland+Weekly%3A+Heartland+Friend+Willie+Soon+KILLS+IT+on+Tucker+Carlson+s+New+Show+on+Elon+Musk+s+X+Platform&utm_campaign=HW+%2801-12-23%29
  83. CO2 Coalition home page: https://co2coalition.org
  84. Dr. Richard Lindzen on Temperature of the Earth: https://climateactiontracker.org
  85. Clintel Declaration (European Scientists): https://clintel.org/world-climate-declaration/
  86. WUWT Timeline of Failed Climate Doomsday Predictions: https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline/
  87. Roy Spencer Web site: https://www.drroyspencer.com
  88. Heartland Institute: http://climatechangereconsidered.org
  89. Real Clear Wire, “Here’s the Climate Dissent You’re Not Hearing About Because it is Muffled by Society’s Top Institutions” :  https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/09/13/heres_the_climate_dissent_youre_not_hearing_about_because_its_muffled_by_societys_top_institutions_978511.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=iJgazUr_XAtMm8bXcO-NbIzld7XNG9xSjxbQsPeA5uyvxxlevtyy6INEIV4bUTjx
  90. Professor Richard Lindzen, MIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen#Views_on_climate_change
  91. Prof. Lindzen article in Tablet Magazine on China and his views on AGW: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/china-warming-richard-lindzen
  92. Professor Judith Curry Interview January 30, 2021 on AGW: https://judithcurry.com/2021/01/30/interview-climate-change-a-different-perspective-with-judith-curry/
  93. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  94. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
    Climate Science Book by Vinos with forward by Judith Curry:  https://judithcurry.com/2022/09/22/the-winter-gatekeeper-hypothesis-vii-a-summary-plus-qa/
  95. Climate, Past, Present and Future: https://judithcurry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vinos-CPPF2022.pdf
  96. Australian Scientific Paper: World Atmospheric CO2, Its 14C Specific Activity, Non-fossil Component, Anthropogenic Fossil Component, and Emissions (1750–2018) https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/fulltext/2022/02000/world_atmospheric_co2,_its_14c_specific_activity,.2.aspx
  97. GWPF Sept 22, 2022, Richard Lindzen Paper: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/09/Lindzen-global-warming-narrative.pdf
  98. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  99. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  100. Dr. Judith Curry post on how Disinformation Industrial Complex is harming Trust in Science, June 2023: https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/
  101. Vaclav Smil book: “The Way the World Really Works”
    Dr. Steve Koonin book: “Unsettled”
    Science based web site on Climate Science: https://climate4you.com
  102. Heartland Institute Climate Conference, Feb. 2023: https://heartland.org/events/15th-international-conference-on-climate-change/ 
  103. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  104. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  105. Australian Scientific Paper: World Atmospheric CO2, Its 14C Specific Activity, Non-fossil Component, Anthropogenic Fossil Component, and Emissions (1750–2018: https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/fulltext/2022/02000/world_atmospheric_co2,_its_14c_specific_activity,.2.aspx
  106. Dr. Judith Curry Review of CLINTEL report analyzing IPCC-AR6: https://judithcurry.com/2023/05/13/clintels-critical-evaluation-of-the-ipcc-ar6/ 
  107. CLINTEL website: https://clintel.org
  108. Dr. Patrick Moore discusses Manufactured Climate Alarmism, May 2023, Newsmax: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/04/30/patrick-moore-discusses-climate-change-manufa
  109. Here’s what the IPCC really believes about the effects of climate change compared to other factors. All the rest is scare tactics, and gross exaggeration. No way 0.5C increase in temperature, if it occurs, could be anything but positive. Note the use of the words “small” & large” Dr. Pat&t=jx86j0I-tJuKCNreXz1BDA
  110. Donn Dears book, “Have No Fear”
  111. Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery book, “UnstoppableGlobal Warming” published 2007
    Book, “Hot Talk, Cold Science” 3rd edition, 2021, By Singer, Legates and Lupo
  112. COCoalition has an extensive web site with more science based Climate and Atmospheric Science information: https://co2coalition.org
  113. Physicist Wallace Manheimer on CO2, “There is no Climate Crisis” , January 2023: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745  Abstract here: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745
  114. Dr. Steve Koonin, Is There Really a Climate Emergency? https://www.prageru.com/video/is-there-really-a-climate-emergency?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_5331670
  115. WUWT Global Surface Temperature Record Updated 1880-2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/ 
  116. “Why Climate Change is Not an Emergency”, CO2 Coalition Presentations, May 27, 2023: https://co2coalition.org/media/why-climate-change-is-not-an-emergency/
  117. WUWT Home page for access to numerous articles: https://wattsupwiththat.com
  118. Manhattan Contrarian, Francis Menton article on the Michael Mann “Hockey Stick” graph, Civil lawsuit, Mark Steyn and IPCC: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2024-1-27-some-notes-on-the-trial-of-mann-v-steyn
  119. Donn Dears book, “Clean Energy Crisis” 2023, 
    Donn Dears book, “Net Zero Carbon, The Policy Destroying America” 2021
  120. Australian Government website on CO2 Emissions: https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/Climate-change-QA/Sources-of-CO2
  121. Aspen Institute on Decarbonization and CCUS Challenges: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/energy-transition-decarbonization-challenges-in-the-united-states-globally/
  122. DW Germany Challenges of Wind Power: https://www.dw.com/en/can-germany-meet-its-ambitious-wind-energy-targets/a-68165099
  123. EcoWatch on 22 million acres of public land proposed for solar panels: https://www.ecowatch.com/solar-energy-development-public-lands-blm.html
  124. Natural CO2 emissions by Volcanoes, Science based: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41901-y
  125. Visual Capitalist of World’s Largest CO2 emissions, Human Created: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/all-the-worlds-carbon-emissions-in-one-chart/
  126. USGS CO2 Emissions from Volcanoes: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanoes-can-affect-climate
  127. NASA report on Natural and Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions: https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/340/graphic-volcanoes-and-climate-change/
  128. EPOCH Times Article on Doubt of CO2 being the cause of climate change, Feb. 24, 2024: https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/fixation-on-co2-ignores-real-driver-of-temperature-say-experts-5588495?utm_source=RTNews&src_src=RTNews&utm_campaign=rtbreaking-2024-02-23-1&src_cmp=rtbreaking-2024-02-23-1&utm_medium=email&est=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAc%2BsofRIezY%2Fb%2BLwcs0VKH7toxkYAIGcN2s7GwqwC0GkGTSTCcgh%2FABHe
  129. CA politicians pushed Green energy and then their Electric Bills Skyrocketed, Politico, Feb. 2024: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/21/democrats-climate-action-utility-bills-00142316
  130. History of BWXT : https://www.bwxt.com/about/history
  131. CCP funding of Environmental groups, Dec. 2023: https://climatechangedispatch.com/chinese-tied-nonprofit-sent-millions-to-fund-us-based-eco-groups-climate-schemes/
  132. Park Foundation website. Philanthropy to Liberal Causes, including fighting fossil fuels: https://www.parkfoundation.org/funding-priorities/environment/
  133. Dr. George Holliday 2010 ASME Newsletter, “Is the EPA Out of Control?” on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7170389121775951873?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  134. Inflation Reduction Act by Whitehouse PR, August 16, 2022: https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/
  135. Salt River Power, New Battery Installation, can store clean energy for up to four hours (260 MWH), March 2024: https://media.srpnet.com/arizonas-largest-battery-is-now-operating-on-srps-power-grid-supporting-google-along-with-other-clean-energy-resources/
  136. You Tube video on the true facts of Climate change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6daGgUI-keg
  137. History of Weather Extremes by Ralph Alexander: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2024/03/History-Weather-Extremes.pdf?mc_cid=8f46aa0c76&mc_eid=16a1aa27a8  
  138. Chris Matchette-Downes and James Folcik, LI post on Natural Weather Events History: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7179257727183917056-os39?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop  
  139. American Coal Council on high electricity demand of Data Centers: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/terry-bentley-67707919_where-is-the-power-going-to-come-from-activity-7179233761790717952-2j7X?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop  
  140. CO2 You Tube, “Climate Killer or Essence of Life” By Patrick Baeuerle:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6daGgUI-keg
  141. FERC should be Independent, Not GREEN, Real Clear Energy, example of MA energy policies and FERC Commissioner Judy Chang from MA,  April 3, 2024: https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2024/03/20/ferc_should_be_independent_not_green_1019708.html 
  142. Massachusetts Energy Profile, 2022, EIA: https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=MA
  143. Capital Research Center, History of the Climate Polices, by Ken Haapala: Capital Research Center, Report on Climate Dollars https://www.climatedollars.org/full-study/a-short-history-of-global-warming-fears/
  144. Liberty Energy’s Chris Wright Testimony to Congress on the “Climate Policies” April 2024: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/BA/BA00/20240410/117092/HHRG-118-BA00-Wstate-WrightC-20240410.pdf
  145. A Short History of Climate Dollars, CRC, 2017: https://www.climatedollars.org/app/uploads/2017/05/CRC_ClimateDollars_Study_finalv3.pdf
  146. Daily Skeptic on sea Level rise, April 2024: https://dailysceptic.org/2024/04/06/islands-that-climate-alarmists-said-would-soon-disappear-due-to-rising-sea-found-to-have-grown-in-size/
  147. The Honest Story of Climate Change, Part1, by Andy May, April 11, 2024: https://andymaypetrophysicist.com/2024/04/11/the-honest-story-of-climate-change-part-i-weighed-down-by-fear-and-intimidation/  
  148. Environmental NGO’s Funding by Billionaires, Foundations and some by Foreign investments, 114thCongress Report, 2014: http://stillwatertechservices.com/files/tms/EAC-HAVA-CARES/The_Chain_of_Command_-_How_Billionaires_and_Foundations_Control_Environmental_Movement_US_Senate_Report_July_30_2014.pdf
  149. Climate, The Movie: https://x.com/wideawake_media/status/1770552312710217954
  150. Phyics.org Article, Ice age climate analysis reduces worst-case warming expected from rising CO₂ :    https://phys.org/news/2024-04-ice-age-climate-analysis-worst.html
  151. Firebreak: When Journalists Drop the Ball, April 22, 2024: https://www.thefirebreak.org/p/when-journalists-drop-the-ball
  152. Alberta Government Report on Energy Opposition organizations, April 2024: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/public-inquiry-into-anti-alberta-energy-campaigns-report  
  153. WUWT Disclosure of Billionaire Climate Extremists influencing state and Federal Climate policy, good links within the document, May 22, 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/22/more-billionaire-climate-machinations/
  154. WUWT on “Who are the Science Deniers that Threaten Future Prosperity, Trump or Others?”: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/24/claim-trumps-anti-science-climate-denial-threatens-the-foundations-of-prosperity/
  155. WUWT “Environmental Reporting, Failed Predictions Timeline, 1966 to 2023): https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline/
  156. Vaclav Smil, “Net Zero is Not Going to Happen”, Fraser Institute, June 2024: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050.pdf
  157. CO2 is NOT a Pollutant and Humans Cannot Regulate It, by Professor Murray Salby, 2016: https://expose-news.com/2024/06/08/carbon-isnt-a-pollutant-humans-cannot-regulate-it/  
  158. Excellent Presentation on Climate and Energy for the General Public :  https://rumble.com/v2l3sqy-climate-and-energy.html
  159. You Tube Presentation on the Influence of the Sun on Earth’s Climate, also at 3 minutes 10 seconds into the video, the recent excellent paper on Net Zero Carbon by William Happer, Richard Lindzen and W. A. van Wijngaarden is discussed, (link below) June 12, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfhbEDuZXDs
  160. CO2 Coalition Paper. Net Zero Averted Temperature Increase: https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Net-Zero-Averted-Temperature-Increase-2024-06-11.pdf
  161. WUWT-August 2024, “Anthropogenic Warming is Political Science, Not Physical Science”    :  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/08/13/anthropogenic-global-warming-is-political-not-physical-science/
  162. Climatism Blog, Background of the Global Warming Scare: https://climatism.blog/2018/12/19/draconian-un-climate-agenda-exposed-global-warming-fears-are-a-tool-for-political-and-economic-change-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-actual-climate/
  163. WUWT on Sea Level Rise using 19th century photos of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/08/06/despite-alarmists-denials-statue-of-liberty-photos-expose-sea-level-rise-acceleration-failed-projections/
  164. MIT Climate Page, Tons of CO2 on Planet Earth: https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-much-carbon-dioxide-does-earth-naturally-absorb#:~:text=Altogether%20the%20planet%20absorbs%20and,billion%20tons%20of%20CO2.
  165. Our World in Data on CO2 Emissions Data: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
  166. NASA-How Much CO2 are we Emitting? https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/climate-science/how-much-carbon-dioxide-are-we-emitting/
  167. NOAA on CO2 in Atmosphere: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide
  168. NASA Earth Observatory on CO2 :  https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle
    CO2 Coalition on the Importance of CO2 to the Senate: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/FC7C4946-11A3-4967-BF28-8D0386608D3E
  169. New Scientist tally of 1.85 Billion Tonnes of carbon on planet earth: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2218180-weve-totted-up-all-earths-carbon-and-99-per-cent-is-underground/  
  170. Global Energy Monitor on CO2: https://www.gem.wiki/Carbon_dioxide
  171. British Geological Service: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/the-carbon-story/
  172. The World Counts on total CO2 emissions since 1850, From 1850 to 2019, 2,400 gigatons of CO2 were emitted by human activity. Around 950 gigatons went into the  Climate Deniers, Unite”atmosphere. The rest has been absorbed by oceans and land.: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/climate-change/global-warming/global-co2-emissions
  173. Britannica, How Much Does Atmosphere Weigh? About The total mass of Earth’s atmosphere is about 5.5 quadrillion tons, or roughly one millionth of Earth’s mass.:https://www.britannica.com/story/how-much-does-earths-atmosphere-weigh
  174. Columbia University Climate Center CO2 History:  https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2023/12/07/a-new-66-million-year-history-of-carbon-dioxide-offers-little-comfort-for-today/  
  175. Science News.org on Total Weight of CO2 on earth:  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/where-earth-stores-its-carbon
  176. Science Direct, Dr. Judith Curry EtAl: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666496823000456
  177. WUWT “Climate Deniers of the World  Unite”, Ug. 16, 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/08/16/climate-deniers-of-the-world-unite/
  178. Why Did the U.S. Give Up on Coal Just When it Was Winning and Decide to Give the Game to China?, by @NaturalGasNOW https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-did-the-us-give-up-on-coal-just?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  179. CNN News article on replacing 2700 MW Sherco Coal Plant in Minnesota with Solar Farms, Sept. 16, 2024: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/16/climate/coal-to-solar-minnesota/index.html
  180. Statista Chart of U.S. Primary Energy, 2023: https://www.statista.com/statistics/203325/us-energy-consumption-by-source/
  181. PA Pundits Article on “Groupthink, Pal-Review and Climate Fraud” An excellent article published in Jan. 2021: https://papundits.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/groupthink-pal-review-and-climate-fraud/
  182. Stephen Heins Substack article on interview with Climate Expert Dr. Judith Curry on Politics, science and climate policies: https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/the-politics-of-climate-change-with?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The Electricity Reliability Crisis and the Importance of American Coal!

The U.S. needs about 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy each Year. Currently, coal provides about 10% of this PRIMARY ENERGY and should continue to do so until a better energy source is commercially available.

Blackouts and Rationing of Electricity

For all of us that understand energy and electric power generation, we know the electricity generation reliability crisis will get worse and there will be Rationing and Rolling Blackouts. We have already arrived at the critical point and over the last three years people have died from Blackouts. Even once highly respected Utilities such as Duke Energy have imposed rolling Blackouts during high load demand conditions. Two news clips follow as reminders from 2021 and 2022.

So, What Are Some of the Causes of Electric Reliability?

The number one cause is the “War on Coal” power plants! This misguided Net-Zero Carbon policy has caused hundreds of dependable, reliable coal power plants to be demolished. The “War on Coal” is referred to by the government as “Climate Policies”. It is as if shutting down America’s most reliable, affordable and dispatchable source of power generation will change the climate. It is nuts. Professor Vaclav Smil offers some of his views here. (97) My previous blog post discussed “Threats to the Grid”, most of which are due to excessive and unnecessary Federal Government Regulations. (177)

Who or What Respected Organizations Confirm the Crisis?

According to NERC (North American Electricity Reliability Council) over 122,000 MW of coal plants have been shut down and most, demolished since 2010.(92, 106) Most of this lost generation capacity has not been replaced with electricity generation capacity of like reliability, affordability and Dispatchability. Thus, our electric system has become stressed with increasing demand but fewer dispatchable power generation facilities. The chart below is from the NERC Summer Reliability Report, 2024. As can be seen on the chart, in 2013 dependable coal plants represented about 30% of total installed generation capacity. By 2023 the dispatchable coal plants had declined to 18%. The non-Dispatchable solar and wind in 2023 represent over 8% of total generation capacity. However, non-dispatch able means, the solar and wind provide power when nature provides proper sunlight and wind, not when a customer (you) turns on a power consuming device. Such as an electric stove or EV charger. Michelle Bloodworth discussed the role of the out of control EPA Rules on the coming electricity crisis in a POWER Magazine commentary. (106)

America Had Over 100 Years of Affordable, Reliable, Abundant and Dispatchable Electricity Until The War On Coal Began in the 1990’s

Here is an example of a typical large Utility Coal Power Plant. This one is special to me, because I was the startup engineer for Unit #3 in 1973 and I worked at the plant for several different companies over the next 40 years. So, I am very familiar with all of the plant equipment.  This plant when operating at an 80% load factor will consume about 700 tons of coal per hour. This is seven full railroad coal cars each hour. It is about six million tons per year of coal. 

How Much Power Generation is 2500 MW? Did You Ever Visit Niagara Falls? The U.S. Side New York Power Authority Generation Station that uses the American share of the total outflow of the Great Lakes is about the same size as Roxboro Coal Plant in Electricity Generation Capacity.

A typical large coal fueled power plant can produce about the same amount of electricity as the Robert Moses, NYPA Niagara Falls Hydro-Electric Plant.

The Roxboro Coal Generating Plant when operating at 100% load will produce about 2500 MW of electricity.  Let me compare this large Thermal Plant with a large Hydro Plant, say the Robert Moses Hydro-Electric plant at Niagara Falls. Why? Because when I was employed by then Carolina Power & Light Company, I was part of an ASME Committee. Our ASME group had a technical meeting in Niagara Falls. While there, the organizers provided a private tour of the large hydro-electric plant. (that was in the 1970’s, before 911 security measures) My first impression was, “Holy Cow, our plant in Roxboro produces as much as this huge facility and it fits on a real-estate parcel of a few thousand acres”. The Robert Moses hydroelectric plant is powered by rainwater runoff from eight U.S. states and one Canadian Province. The outflow of most of the water from the Great Lakes flows to the Niagara River and through the hydroelectric plants installed there. This is an example of the energy density of a coal plant as compared to hydroelectric power generation.

Robert Moses Hydroelectric Plant 4.5 miles downstream of Niagara Falls: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_moses_niagara_power_plant_01.jpg

So, Why is America Facing Electricity Rationing and Blackouts?

The U.S. Grid powered a thriving economy for over 100 years with great reliability, based on reliable, affordable and Dispatchable coal power plants. They were made ever more efficient and cleaner resulting in some of the cleanest air in the U.S. of any industrialized country.

 Then, after about 2013 government regulatory policies and popular culture has created a self-sabotaging of electric reliability. Over 122,000 MW of electric power generation capacity has been demolished.

This is the equivalent of 50 power plants the size of Roxboro Generating Station
 
The war on coal fueled power stations is contributing to the coming electricity reliability crisis. The War on Coal” is self-Inflicted and anti-American.
 
To my knowledge, there has NOT been a major new coal plant built in the U.S. since 2013. 

122,000 MW of Reliable Coal Power Generation Has Been Demolished

The picture below is the implosion of the Sutton Unit #3 at Duke Energy near Wilmington, NC. This one is also personal to me, because I was also the lead Boiler Startup engineer in charge in June 1972 when Sutton #3 went into commercial operation (Then Carolina Power & Light Co.). To generate 122,000 MW, it would take 290 plants like this. In actuality, the Sierra Club website keeps score on the Beyond Coal Campaign and they show 385 total coal Units shut down since 2010. According to the Sierra Club, only 145 to go.

(Some) Non Governmental and Federal Governmental Agencies that Influence the Government Climate Policies That are Destroying American Electricity Reliability

Two fair questions can be asked: 1. Who cares?

2. Do we really need these old coal plants? 

I will answer both of the questions with an emphatic Yes, I care and Yes we need them!  We do need the remaining 145 coal plants and in addition, more replacements should be being constructed right now. 

Overall, America produces about 16% of our electricity from coal fuel. However, the difference of coal plants compared to solar and wind, is that the coal power is Dispatchable. That means that when the need for electricity increases, the coal plants can be ramped up in power output to match the Demand. Wind and solar are intermittent and are therefore, Non-Dispatchable. Further, a coal pile on site can store months of PRIMARY Energy. Pipelines are “Just in Time” fuel delivery. Do you remember the Colonial Pipeline Hack in 2021? In 2024 it is projected that about 50% of electricity production will be from pipeline supplied natural gas in 2024. Think about that. (176)

Note from the chart below how America’s electricity generation has transitioned from coal as the major (greater than 45%) in 2010 to now, natural gas has taken over the lead as the dominant Primary Energy source for electric power generation.

The greatest need for coal plants come at peak Demand hours in the summer and the winter. Especially winter!

The PJM Interconnection Chart of Electric Power Production by fuel is from January 26, 2022. Then, it was 31% coal power generation. Many of the coal plants in service then, have been shut down. More will be lost by January 2025.

The coal plant generation capacity continues to decline as the momentum of the overwhelming assault on coal power continues. This war on carbon based fuels only applies to free, capitalist western countries.

The electricity crisis that we are facing, is self-inflicted by well financed extremist NGO’s, misguided politicians and Deep State (SWAMP) EPA Bureaucrats. The “War on Coal” is now nearly won by enemies of American prosperity. The “Green New Deal”, which has been codified as the so called, “Inflation Reduction Act” is now a law that will be difficult to repeal. So, what is the rest of the world doing? Do the Bureaucrats in Washington care?

What About Coal Use in the World? It has been Rising and in 2023 the Greatest Coal Consumption Ever Has Been Recorded

China consumes over 50% of the world’s coal.

Reasonable Cost, Reliable Energy and Electricity is a Pre-Requisite for Economic Prosperity. It worked for the U.S. and it has been Proven by China too

China is the world’s largest manufacturer. This was not always the case. After 2001 when China was admitted to the World Trade Organization they ramped up aluminum and steel production to exceed all other countries of the world in tonnage produced. This takes a lot of Primary Energy and it provides a case study of the relationship of reasonable cost and reliable coal power and economic prosperity.

Conclusions

I have spoken to Professional groups of people who are above average in income level, reached prominent levels of respect in the Community that are Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Business owners, Politicians, Bank Presidents and basically, well-informed, well-read individuals. Even technically trained engineers that are not involved in power generation. When I tell them America has NO Energy Policy only a Decarbonization Policy they Look at me like I am creating some kind of fairy tale. 

However, it is true, America has NO Energy Policy. Only Climate Policies that attack the very fuels that our country has depended on and continues to depend on. There are policies in place to destroy American electricity reliability.

Electric Reliability will be worse in the winter. Yes, expect serious problems this December and January 2025

The Climate Polices of the Biden-Harris Administration are NOT based on protecting human health or the environment. They began as a war on coal by NGO’s and the United Nations and then they were carried forward by the Clinton Administration. The Clinton EPA started the assault on coal plants with aggressive lawsuits called “New Source Review”. I wrote a few articles on this, here is one I presented to an EPRI meeting in 2009, another which the Dr. Robert Peltier, then Editor of Power Magazine republished in Master Resource, in 2010.(178, 179) The War on coal greatly expanded during the Obama and Biden Administrations. Net-Zero Carbon is a path to one world government and Socialism, not clean air. The “War on Coal, has now expanded into a War on ALL Fossil Fuels and this is leading to the destruction of reliable electricity generation in America. The only benefactors of the war on carbon in the free world are China, Russia and the rest of the BRICS nations. The Best Interests of the American people, jobs, prosperity and Freedom are NOT a priority of Biden-Harriis.

Further, killing America’s productive capacity will do nothing to improve the environment when the total world energy use is considered. Net-Zero Carbon will only Destroy America’s Productive Capacity.

It is as if the leaders in our government are intentionally weakening America and thus ceding our manufacturing, International Hegemony and other strengths to China and the rest of the world. To me, these policies are inexplicably anti-American. Why? Do you wish to dig deeper? Perhaps if you peruse the 175 or so references below, you may find some reasons of how these terrible Climate Policies have come to be. If you read them, you will come to the conclusion, as I have, that Net-Zero Carbon will not improve human health, food supply, improved quality of life or economic prosperity. Travis Fisher of CATO provided testimony before Congress recently, where he stated, “Energy Can Be A Bright Spot in Our Economy, If We Let it” (180)

The American Electricity Crisis is in fact, Self-Inflicted.

Dick Storm, Sept. 12, 2024

References

  1. PJM Winter Operations Resources: https://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2023/05/2023-05-18-egoc-a3-3-pjm-post-winter-2022-23-review.pdf
  2. Manhattan Contrarian article on Electricity Prices in Germany and the world, including the U.S. Great chart of electricity process ranked from highest to lowest, Sept. 7th, 2024: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2024-9-7-in-germany-the-energy-transition-situation-only-gets-worse
  3. Global Energy Monitor Report of Existing Coal Plants in U.S. 2013: https://www.gem.wiki/Existing_U.S._Coal_Plants
  4. NERC Summer 2024 Reliability report, June 21, 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/PA/Performance%20Analysis%20DL/NERC_SOR_2024_Technical_Assessment.pdf
  5. EIA Total Primary Energy Used in 2023: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
  6. EIA Electricity Production in 2023 by fuel source: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20about%204%2C178%20billion,facilities%20in%20the%20United%20States.&text=About%2060%25%20of%20this%20electricity,%2C%20petroleum%2C%20and%20other%20gases.
  7. NMA Importance of Coal for Electric Reliability: https://nma.org/2024/04/01/coal-energy-stability/
  8. Global Energy Monitor on Coal Plants in 2023, China has more than 50% of World Coal Capacity: https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-coal-2024/
  9. Duke Energy info on Roxboro Plant: https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/power-plants/roxboro-plant
  10. EIA Coal Consumption 2023, U.S.A.-422 Million Tons: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62484#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20coal%20transported%20to%20power%20plants%2C%20which%20are,consumption%20to%20reverse%20this%20year.
  11. Coal Hub, Coal Use in China, 2023 about ten times U.S. consumption at 4 Billion Tons: https://thecoalhub.com/chinese-coal-consumption-over-4-billion-tons-in-2023.html#:~:text=Chinese%20coal%20consumption%20reached%20over%204%20billion%20tons%20in%202023.
  12. IEA World Coal Consumption Report 2023: https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2023/demand
  13. Sierra Club, Climate, Energy and Beyond Coal website: https://www.sierraclub.org/climate-and-energy
  14. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility in 2030 Become a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050 and Still Meet Net Zero Carbon? Update of last year’s article, May 2, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/02/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon-an-update-on-my-electricity-provider-in-south-carolina/
  15. Coal’s Final Battle, May 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/05/20/coals-final-battle/
  16. Tom Shepstone’s Substack repost of Dick Storm commentary, May 20, 2024: https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/why-we-the-american-people-must-win?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  17. Visualizing 100 Quadrillion BTUs. Shouldn’t Coal Remain in our Energy Mix?” : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/02/visualizing-100-quadrillion-btus-of-primary-energy-coal-should-remain-in-our-energy-mix/
  18. We the People vs. The Ten Headed Swamp Monster     :  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/10/we-the-people-vs-net-zero-indoctrination-by-the-ten-headed-swamp-monster/
  19. The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat Engines Society Depends on: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/07/30/the-magnificent-and-indispensable-heat-engine-on-which-civil-society-depends-part-1-heat-engines-1-3-million-horsepower/ 
  20. Wake Up America! Sept. 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  21.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 1,  79 Quadrillion BTUs, The Enormity of the Fossil Energy Systems Providing Sustainable Lives, Jan. 11, 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/01/11/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-1-79-quadrillion-btusthe-enormity-of-the-fossil-energy-systems-providing-sustainable-lives/
  22.  Influencers of U.S. Energy Policy, January 3, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/04/influencers-of-american-energy-policy/
  23. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  24.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  25. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  26. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  27. Update on Hawaii’s “Green New Deal” March 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  28. The Rise and Fall of Nations from the perspective of nuclear power systems manufacturing: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  29. Thomas J. Shepstone posting on Substack of,  “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialismhttps://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  30.  Threats to the Electric Grid, March 15, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  31. Giant Sucking Sound, March 18, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/18/giant-sucking-sound/
  32. “Update on Hawaii’s Glimpse of the Future of the Green New Deal” March 20, 2024:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/20/hawaii-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal-aka-inflation-reduction-act-here-is-an-update/
  33. The Reality of Electrifying Everything,  April 9, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/09/the-reality-of-electrifying-everything-and-the-primary-energy-required-to-generate-the-electricity/
  34. Am I Missing Something? Here is an Update on Hyundai’s Commitment to their EV Meta Plant in Georgia:   https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/14/am-i-missing-something-on-evs-here-is-an-update-on-hyundais-meta-plant-commitment-to-evs-and-hydrogen-vehicles/
  35. Tom Shepstone post on Substack of Dick Storm letter to Senator Tom Davis: https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical/comments
  36. Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  37. Saving America: Issues that Matter, April 28, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/04/29/saving-america-from-destructive-policies-the-real-issues-that-matter-part-1/
  38.  American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  39.   Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  40.  A Short History of Power Generation, Part 1, 1850-1955, January 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/14/a-short-history-of-energy-electricity-and-how-our-high-quality-of-living-came-to-be-high-human-development-index-part-1-1850-1955/
  41. Energy=Life as We Enjoy it, Aug. 22, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/
  42.  “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be”, Oct. 16, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  43. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Jan. 11, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/01/03/energy-and-economic-prosperity/
  44.  Energy and World Peace, April, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/04/05/energy-world-peace/
  45. Without New Thinking on Nuclear Power, Anti-Carbon Policy Can’t Succeed, Nov. 11, 2021 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/11/13/without-new-thinking-on-nuclear-power-anti-carbon-climate-policy-cant-succeed/
  46.  The Rise and Fall and Rise Again  of Nations and the  Realities of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/08/15/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nations-and-the-realities-of-energy/
  47. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  48.  Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  49. How Can a 6,000 MW Utility that will be a 9,000MW Utility in 2050, become Net-Zero Carbon? April 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  50. Dick Storm Blog post, “Wake Up Americans!” Sept. 21, 2023:  https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  51. THE ERA OF RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION: PART 1 https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/10/04/the-era-of-reliable-affordable-energy-and-electricity-generation-part-1/
  52.  The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  53. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 2, “Meet Some of the People that Caused it”,  June 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/14/green-energy-crisis-part-2-meet-the-policy-makers-that-caused-it/
  54. U.S. War on Carbon Accomplishes Two Things, Weakens America, Enriches China, Jan. 30, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/30/us-war-on-carbon-accomplishes-two-things/
  55. All Fuels are Important, A Review of Competitive Electricity Generation and Supply of Needed Transportation Fuels : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/10/all-fuels-are-important-a-review-of-the-reality-of-competitive-electricity-generation-and-the-supply-of-needed-transportation-fuels/  
  56. Texas and Coal Power,  6,000 MW of Coal Power Generation is Missed, Feb. 19, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/02/19/texas-and-coal-power-6000-mws-of-coal-plant-capacity-is-missed/
  57. Executive Orders to Weaken the U.S. Economy, March 3, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/03/presidential-executive-order-signed-by-biden-that-will-harm-the-u-s-economy/
  58. Energy and Some People Who Contributed to the Rise of America, March 31, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/31/energy-and-notable-people-who-contributed-to-the-rise-of-america/  
  59. Earth Day, Let’s Celebrate True Sustainability of Our High Quality of Life, April 22, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/04/22/earth-day-lets-celebrate-true-sustainability-and-a-continuance-of-our-high-quality-of-life/
  60.   The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be” October 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/16/the-war-on-carbon-how-it-came-to-be/
  61. “My Paid Energy Ad from 2015 and here We Go Again”, January 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/28/my-paid-ad-for-energy-awareness-in-2015-here-we-go-again/
  62. Energy and Economic Prosperity, My Thoughts, a presentation to the Delaware County Bar Association, July 2016: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2016/07/25/energy-and-economic-prosperity-my-thoughts-dick-storm/
  63. “Dick Storm’s Thoughts on the Green New Deal”,    October 2020: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/10/10/part-5-dick-storms-thoughts-on-the-green-new-deal/
  64. “Are You Worried about the Future of the U.S.A.?”    : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/21/are-you-worried-about-the-future-of-america/
  65.  830,000 BTUs per Day/Person, Sept. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/09/16/830000-btus-per-day-person/
  66.   The Stupidity of Net-Zero Carbon, Oct. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/13/the-stupidity-of-net-zero-carbon/
  67.  American Dream = 100 Quadrillion BTUs per Year April 7, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/04/american-dream-100-quadrillion-btus/
  68.   Providing a Sustainable Million BTUs per Day/Person, May 17,  2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/05/17/providing-a-sustainable-million-btus-per-day-per-person-by-fuel-source/
  69. Lee Raymond video, “Facing the Hard Truths of Energy” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYRH97e-nlM
  70. Dick Storm Presentation to Columbus Energy Forum, Columbus, Ohio August 2022: America Has NO Energy Policy : https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_presentation-and-speakers-notes-from-august-activity-7068650158862827520-B-_W?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  71. Dick Storm Panel comments at Powergen International-2024: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_i-had-the-honor-of-being-on-a-powergen-panel-activity-7156046708139782144-zPoZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  72. “Clean Energy Crisis”, Book by Donn Dears, 2023. An excellently written, short and concise review of the energy crisis we are facing. Available on Amazon: 
  73. Understanding Data Center Electricity Demand by C&C Techgroup, June 2023: https://cc-techgroup.com/data-center-energy-consumption/
  74. Power Hungry Google Data Centers to be Built in S.C. Charleston Business Journal, Feb. 15, 2024: https://charlestonbusiness.com/tech-giant-google-coming-to-dorchester-county/
  75. America is Running Out of Electricity Generation, Washington Post, March 7, 2024: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amid-explosive-demand-america-is-running-out-of-power/ar-BB1jtM69
  76. Coal Use in World Reaches New Record in 2023, Reuters Jan. 2024: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/global-coal-exports-power-generation-hit-new-highs-2023-2024-01-18/#:~:text=LITTLETON%2C%20Colorado%2C%20Jan%2018%20(,cut%20back%20on%20fossil%20fuels
  77. Visual Capitalist on U.S. Coal Plant Closures, August 17, 2021: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/road-to-decarbonization-u-s-coal-plant-closures/
  78. China Accounts for Nearly all of New Coal Fired Power Generation, POWER, Feb. 2024: https://www.powermag.com/global-domination-china-accounts-for-nearly-all-new-coal-fired-power-plant-construction/?utm_source=CP&utm_medium=email&utm_id=02072024&oly_enc_id=3247D5884312C9W  
  79. Global Energy Monitor, Coal Boom and Bust, April 2024: https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-coal-2024/
  80. German industry unlikely to fully recover from energy crisis, warns RWE boss, due to High Gas Prices & shut down of Nuclear Plants, April 11, 2024: https://www.ft.com/content/5d98bcab-c8bc-49c8-83a0-88522194f64d?sharetype=blocked
  81. Zero Emissions Grid Follies. Francis Menton and Stephen Heins on Spanish Island with 100% Green Power (similar to Hawaii Experience with “Green” power): https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/the-zero-emissions-grid-demonstration?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  82. PA Oil and Gas Association on the importance of Energy: https://pioga.org/just-the-facts-fossil-fuels-essential-to-four-essential-materials-that-support-civilization/
  83. IEA Food Production cost component of Energy: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/how-the-energy-crisis-is-exacerbating-the-food-crisis
  84. Thomas Shepstone repost of “If you Want to Electrify Everything, Think Again” : https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/if-you-want-to-electrify-everything?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  85. IEA year 2023 Coal Report published July 2024: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a72a7ffa-c5f2-4ed8-a2bf-eb035931d95c/Coal_2023.pdf
  86. EIA 2023 Energy Facts Explained Charts and Data, published March 2023: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
  87. EIA 2023 Energy Flow Chart-Sankey Diagram, published July 2024: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/flow-graphs/total-energy.phphttps://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
  88. LLNL Sankey Diagram of Total Primary Energy Flow, year 2022: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/commodities/energy
  89. COAL POWER AS % of Total: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_power_in_the_United_States
  90. EIA Natural Gas Pipelines update: https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/weekly/archivenew_ngwu/2023/08_31/
  91. EIA Natural Gas Pipelines Explained: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/natural-gas-pipelines.php
  92. NERC Summer Reliability Report, June 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/PA/Performance%20Analysis%20DL/NERC_SOR_2024_Overview.pdf
  93. Daily Sceptic, Net Zero Cure is far worse than the Disease: https://dailysceptic.org/2024/07/04/the-net-zero-cure-is-far-worse-than-the-disease/
  94. Rockefeller Foundation Funding of Extremists and Un-American Causes, July 2024: https://elizabethnickson.substack.com/p/the-rockefellers-created-990-climate
  95. Roger Pielke on Extreme Climate, May 2024 Based on Testimony to U.S. Congress: https://www.aei.org/articles/schrodingers-climate-cat/
  96. Good You Tube Presentation on Paris Climate Goals Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaaJqPCjNr4
  97. Vaclav Smil for Fraser Institute, “Why Net Zero is Impractical and Unrealistic”: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050
  98. Scam of the Century, Ridding the World of Crude Oil Without a Replacement is Global Suicide”, by Ron Stein and Gregory Whitestone, July 2024: https://www.americaoutloud.news/scam-of-the-century-ridding-the-world-of-crude-oil-without-a-replacement-is-global-suicide/
  99. Isaac Orr Presentation to Dairyland Power on the impact of EPA Regulations, June 22, 2024: https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/nine-slides-from-my-keynote-address
  100. Indulgences of the 20th Century, K.T. Lynn on “REC’s”, June 14, 2024: https://thejoulethief.substack.com/p/get-rec-ked
  101. Climate change and the politicization of ESG in the US,  ESG Investing: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/political-science/articles/10.3389/fpos.2024.1332399/full  
  102. Gregory Whitestone on You Tube, Climate Fears Debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcibOFk_ZdU
  103. LLNL Primary Energy Flow Chart, 2022 for U.S.: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/sites/flowcharts/files/2023-10/US%20Energy%202022.pdf
  104. IEA Pathways to Net Zero, Oct. 2023: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023/pathways-for-the-energy-mix
  105. Our World in Data, Per Capita Energy Use charts: https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix
  106. POWER Magazine Commentary by Michelle Bloodworth of America’s Power, “EPA No Win Rule for the Electricity Grid” July 2, 2024: https://www.powermag.com/blog/epas-no-win-rule-for-the-electricity-grid/?oly_enc_id=3214I3524889A9B
  107. Global Energy Monitor, Coal Plant Tracker: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/dashboard/
  108. ASEAN May 2024 report on the future of coal in Asia: https://aseanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ACE_Assessment-of-the-Role-of-Coal-in-the-ASEAN-Energy-Transition-and-Coal-Phase-out.pdf
  109. EIA Natural Gas Prices, from 2019 to March 2024: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62203&src=email
  110. WUWT on Wind and Solar becoming less viable, June 7, Master Resource: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/06/07/industrial-wind-power-a-depleting-resource/
  111. Rise and Fall of the U.S. Grid, by Emmett Penney, Foreign Affairs Magazine: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2022/08/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-american-electrical-grid/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  112. Lars Shernikau, “Primary Energy is Still King” : https://unpopular-truth.com/2024/05/24/why-primary-energy-is-still-king/  
  113. DOE-Pathways to Advanced Nuclear Power, June 2024: https://liftoff.energy.gov/advanced-nuclear/
  114. Our World in Data, Renewable Energy in the World, Charts : https://ourworldindata.org/renewable-energy  
  115. Thomas Shepstone Substack on “What about Coal?” June 20, 2024: https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/what-about-coal
  116. ENERGY INSTITUTE 2024 WORLD ENERGY REPORT, Statistical Review, JUNE 2024: https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review
  117. Gatestone Institute, “May 24, 2024, “Free World, Alarming…Status report”: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20660/free-world-alarming-status
  118. Energy Bad Boys, Substack on EPA forcing 5.2 million into Blackouts, May 25, 2024: https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/52-million-americans-will-be-left
  119. German De-Industrialization post on the “Last Pipe” from Vallourec Factory: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7112422447580082176-MMm3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  120. China’s leader states the importance of oil and coal for prosperity: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7112059501003829248-5b4Y?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  121. FERC Summer Assessment, May 2024: https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/report-2024-summer-energy-market-and-electric-reliability-assessment?utm_source=www.gridbrief.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=data-center-overload-critical-mineral-supply-energy-grids-in-modern-warfare
  122. Grid Brief, May 27, 2024, Data Center to Contribute to 2.7% Electricity Growth: https://www.gridbrief.com/p/data-center-overload-critical-mineral-supply-energy-grids-modern-warfare?utm_source=www.gridbrief.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=data-center-overload-critical-mineral-supply-energy-grids-in-modern-warfare
  123. Freedom Train: http://freedomtraininternational.org
  124. Capital Research Center on Palestinian Protesters becoming more active in acts of Terror within the U.S. : https://capitalresearch.org/article/chicago-campus-protestors-announce-terror-campain-against-the-us/?blm_aid=59207
  125. Global Energy Monitor, Tracker for LNG and Gas Pipelines: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/glhttps://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-gas-infrastructure-tracker/tracker/obal-gas-infrastructure-tracker/tracker/
  126. Global Energy Monitor, Coal Plant Tracker: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/dashboard/
  127. Energy IS the Economy, Excellent article by Robert Hargraves: https://www.gridbrief.com/p/guest-feature-energy-economy
  128. Climate, The Movie: https://x.com/wideawake_media/status/1770552312710217954
  129. Phyics.org Article, Ice age climate analysis reduces worst-case warming expected from rising CO₂ :    https://phys.org/news/2024-04-ice-age-climate-analysis-worst.html
  130. Firebreak: When Journalists Drop the Ball, April 22, 2024: https://www.thefirebreak.org/p/when-journalists-drop-the-ball
  131.  Alberta Government Report on Energy Opposition organizations, April 2024: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/public-inquiry-into-anti-alberta-energy-campaigns-report  
  132. WUWT Disclosure of Billionaire Climate Extremists influencing state and Federal Climate policy, good links within the document, May 22, 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/22/more-billionaire-climate-machinations/
  133. WUWT on “Who are the Science Deniers that Threaten Future Prosperity, Trump or Others?”: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/24/claim-trumps-anti-science-climate-denial-threatens-the-foundations-of-prosperity/
  134. WUWT “Environmental Reporting, Failed Predictions Timeline, 1966 to 2023): https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline/
  135. Vaclav Smil, “Net Zero is Not Going to Happen”, Fraser Institute, June 2024: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/halfway-between-kyoto-and-2050.pdf
  136. CO2 is NOT a Pollutant and Humans Cannot Regulate It, by Professor Murray Salby, 2016: https://expose-news.com/2024/06/08/carbon-isnt-a-pollutant-humans-cannot-regulate-it/  
  137. Excellent Presentation on Climate and Energy for the General Public :  https://rumble.com/v2l3sqy-climate-and-energy.html
  138. You Tube Presentation on the Influence of the Sun on Earth’s Climate, also at 3 minutes 10 seconds into the video, the recent excellent paper on Net Zero Carbon by William Happer, Richard Lindzen and W. A. van Wijngaarden is discussed, (link below) June 12, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfhbEDuZXDs
  139. CO2 Coalition Paper. Net Zero Averted Temperature Increase: https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Net-Zero-Averted-Temperature-Increase-2024-06-11.pdf
  140. WUWT-August 2024, “Anthropogenic Warming is Political Science, Not Physical Science”    :  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/08/13/anthropogenic-global-warming-is-political-not-physical-science/
  141. Climatism Blog, Background of the Global Warming Scare: https://climatism.blog/2018/12/19/draconian-un-climate-agenda-exposed-global-warming-fears-are-a-tool-for-political-and-economic-change-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-actual-climate/
  142. WUWT on Sea Level Rise using 19th century photos of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/08/06/despite-alarmists-denials-statue-of-liberty-photos-expose-sea-level-rise-acceleration-failed-projections/
  143. MIT Climate Page, Tons of CO2 on Planet Earth: https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-much-carbon-dioxide-does-earth-naturally-absorb#:~:text=Altogether%20the%20planet%20absorbs%20and,billion%20tons%20of%20CO2.
  144. Our World in Data on CO2 Emissions Data: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
  145. NASA-How Much CO2 are we Emitting? https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/climate-science/how-much-carbon-dioxide-are-we-emitting/
  146. NOAA on CO2 in Atmosphere: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide
  147. NASA Earth Observatory on CO2 :  https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle
  148. CO2 Coalition on the Importance of CO2 to the Senate: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/FC7C4946-11A3-4967-BF28-8D0386608D3E
  149. New Scientist tally of 1.85 Billion Tonnes of carbon on planet earth: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2218180-weve-totted-up-all-earths-carbon-and-99-per-cent-is-underground/  
  150. Global Energy Monitor on CO2: https://www.gem.wiki/Carbon_dioxide
  151. British Geological Service: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/the-carbon-story/
  152. Capital Research Center, History of the Climate Polices, by Ken Haapala: Capital Research Center, Report on Climate Dollars https://www.climatedollars.org/full-study/a-short-history-of-global-warming-fears/
  153. Liberty Energy’s Chris Wright Testimony to Congress on the “Climate Policies” April 2024: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/BA/BA00/20240410/117092/HHRG-118-BA00-Wstate-WrightC-20240410.pdf
  154. A Short History of Climate Dollars, CRC, 2017: https://www.climatedollars.org/app/uploads/2017/05/CRC_ClimateDollars_Study_finalv3.pdf
  155.  Finland’s GTK Outstanding Website on the limits of Materials. Also, the Future and Challenges/Futility or Impossibility of the Free Western World government’s “Net-Zero Carbon” Path: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/downloads/
  156. Anthony Watts on the Polar Vortex Weather Pattern: https://climaterealism.com/2024/01/false-axios-climate-change-isnt-altering-the-polar-vortex/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Heartland+Weekly%3A+Heartland+Friend+Willie+Soon+KILLS+IT+on+Tucker+Carlson+s+New+Show+on+Elon+Musk+s+X+Platform&utm_campaign=HW+%2801-12-23%293.
  157.  CO2 Coalition home page: https://co2coalition.org
  158. Dr. Richard Lindzen on Temperature of the Earth: https://climateactiontracker.org
  159. Clintel Declaration (European Scientists): https://clintel.org/world-climate-declaration/
  160. WUWT Timeline of Failed Climate Doomsday Predictions: https://wattsupwiththat.com/failed-prediction-timeline
  161. Dr. Roy Spencer Web site: https://www.drroyspencer.com
  162. Heartland Institute: http://climatechangereconsidered.org
  163. Real Clear Wire, “Here’s the Climate Dissent You’re Not Hearing About Because it is Muffled by Society’s Top Institutions” :  https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/09/13/heres_the_climate_dissent_youre_not_hearing_about_because_its_muffled_by_societys_top_institutions_978511.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=iJgazUr_XAtMm8bXcO-
  164. Professor Richard Lindzen, MIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen#Views_on_climate_change
  165. Prof. Lindzen article in Tablet Magazine on China and his views on AGW: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/china-warming-richard-lindzen
  166. Professor Judith Curry Interview January 30, 2021 on AGW:  https://judithcurry.com/2021/01/30/interview-climate-change-a-different-perspective-with-judith-curry/
  167. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  168. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  169. Climate Science Book by Vinos with forward by Judith Curry:  https://judithcurry.com/2022/09/22/the-winter-gatekeeper-hypothesis-vii-a-summary-plus-qa/
  170. Climate, Past, Present and Future: https://judithcurry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vinos-CPPF2022.pdf
  171. Australian Scientific Paper: World Atmospheric CO2, Its 14C Specific Activity, Non-fossil Component, Anthropogenic Fossil Component, and Emissions (1750–2018) https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/fulltext/2022/02000/world_atmospheric_co2,_its_14c_specific_activity,.2.aspx
  172. GWPF Sept 22, 2022, Richard Lindzen Paper: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/09/Lindzen-global-warming-narrative.pdf
  173.  Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  174. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  175. Dr. Judith Curry post on how Disinformation Industrial Complex is harming Trust in Science, June 2023: https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/https://judithcurry.com/2023/04/23/how-the-disinformation-industrial-complex-is-destroying-trust-in-science/
  176. Colonial Pipeline Hack report by Government, 2023: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/attack-colonial-pipeline-what-weve-learned-what-weve-done-over-past-two-years
  177. Threats to the Grid, Especially Excessive Government Regulations: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/15/threats-to-the-grid-electricity-reliability/
  178. Master Resource, “Time to Repeal New Source Review“, by Dr. Robert Peltier and Dick Storm, 2010: https://www.masterresource.org/coal/time-to-repeal-new-source-review/
  179. Dick Storm presentation to the EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) in 2009 on the Unintended Consequences that “New Source Review” is causing to achieve the best possible efficiency of existing coal plants: https://www.stormeng.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2009-The-Unintended-Consequences-of-New-Source-Review-NSR.-Imagine-What-the-Utility-Industry-Could-do-without-NSR..pdf
  180. Travis Fisher, CATO Institute, “Energy Can be a Bright Spot in the U.S. Economy, If We Let it”: https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenheins/p/energy-can-be-a-bright-spot-in-the?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  181. WSJ on California Rolling Blackouts, Sept. 8, 2024: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/californias-lights-are-out-and-gavin-newsom-isnt-home-energy-power-f51913f5?mod=djemMER_h
  182.  Todd Snitchler, Electric Power Supply Association, “Has the Electricity Reality Check Arrived”, WUWT : https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/09/06/has-the-electricity-reality-check-arrived/

The Magnificent and Indispensable Heat-Engine on Which Civil Society Depends, Part II, Focus on Fossil Fuels for Ocean Shipping

How many products have you bought lately that have a “Made in America” label on them? This article is to provide some background on the importance of conventional fossil fuels to provide the fuel for over 53,000 ocean transport ships. The MV Dali collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore provides a wakeup call regarding the immensity of world trade. The MV Dali is reported to have a fuel capacity of 1.8 million gallons of fuel. Its engine is an MAN-B&W Diesel rated at 41,480 MW or 55,6260 Horsepower.(2) There are thousands of other large ocean transport ships like her that we depend on each day to distribute raw materials and products to the people of the world, 99% are powered by fossil fuels.

Main Engine, MV Dali from NTSB accident (March 26) preliminary report issued May 14, 2024: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/DCA24MM031_PreliminaryReport%203.pdf

Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to stir the public’s attention. Before the Dali collision and subsequent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, many folks may not have given much thought to the number of huge ships like this that are delivering raw materials and manufactured products throughout the world.

My main point is, the motive force to propel these ships through the water represents a lot of primary energy. According to the IEA, about 8.7 Exajoules (8.2 Quadrillion BTUs). About 25% of the world’s total energy consumption is used for transportation, when all ships, trains, motor vehicles and aircraft are considered.

How Much Fuel Does one Large Ship Consume?

One of the largest container ships to call on the U.S., the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, carries approximately 4.5 million gallons of fuel oil. The smaller Dali about 1.8 million gallons.

The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin is considered an ultra-large container ship, as it can carry the equivalent of 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in containers. Ultra-large container ships are more frequently used to bring goods from Asia to Europe.

Container ships that can go through the old Panama Canal locks are called Panamax ships and can generally hold up to 5,000 TEUs. Those vessels typically hold between 1.5 million and 2 million gallons of fuel. (The Dali was carrying 4,680 containers when it struck the Key Bridge)

Many container ships that call on the U.S. now are considered post-Panamax or New Panamax, named so because they are larger and can go through the newer, larger locks on the Panama Canal. Those ships are generally in the 8,000- to 14,000-TEU range. Ships in that size range can carry between 2.5 million and 4.5 million gallons of fuel.

The amount of fuel actually to be used on a trip depends primarily on the ship’s speed. Most ship engines have been designed for top speeds ranging between 20 and 25 knots per hour, which is between 23 and 28 miles per hour. A Panamax container ship can consume 63,000 gallons of marine fuel per day at that speed. This is a lot of fuel however, when expressed as fuel per ton mile, ocean transport is more efficient and uses less fuel/ton of cargo than any other method of shipping.

How Many Ships?

There are over 53,000 merchant ships registered to sail the oceans. This according to “Info Maritime” (1) The top 15 countries for numbers of vessels is shown on the chart below.

Closing Summary

Ocean transport is important to supply the people of the world with the products, food and raw materials needed to live sustainable lives. (Sustainable to me means, living the high quality of life that we enjoy now)

I should mention that this article was inspired by Ron Stein’s article in “America Out Loud”, which made mention of petroleum products making possible 6,000 products, 50,000 military aircraft, 50,000 ships and 20,000 commercial airplanes that the people of the world all depend.(7)

Fossil Fuels in the U.S.A.

Fossil Fuels used in the U.S.A. are shown below by the EIA for the year 2023. The world use of maritime fuel was stated by the IEA at 8.2 Quadrillion BTUs. The U.S. portion uses 26.1 Quadrillion BTUs of petroleum products for all transportation (34% of total fossil fuels), as shown below by the EIA chart. (If Exajoules and Quadrillion BTUs seem abstract, then think “Billions of gallons”.)

Conclusions

Ocean transport is important to sustain our quality of life. Including transport of food. Billions of gallons of Fossil fuels are used for shipping and this reasonable cost and abundant fuel is extremely important to keep international shipping costs reasonable.

The marine industry is under pressure to Decarbonize.(9) This is not only ludicrous but also it will be very expensive. The large and truly magnificent reciprocating internal combustion engines, a couple examples are discussed above are versatile and with some modifications, can be converted to use hydrogen, Methanol or ammonia. However, the production of hydrogen as a fuel requires much more energy, up to four times as much for production as is provided by the burning of the resulting hydrogen as fuel. Therefore a quick back of the envelope calculation would indicate that changing to hydrogen fuel will cost 4 times as much as current marine Diesel or Bunker fuel. Have you bought any hydrogen lately?

Large reciprocating engines similar to those used for ocean transport have been successfully used on land in stationary power generation power plants. They have the operations flexibility for fast starting and a quick shut down.(10, 11, 12) Operational flexibility that is ideal for backing up intermittent renewable solar and wind. The next article will feature these derivatives of large marine engines that are used for backup of Variable electricity generation renewables.

Yours truly,

Dick Storm August 7, 2024

References and Information for Further Research

  1. Info-Maritime 53,000+ Ships of the world info: http://infomaritime.eu/index.php/2021/08/22/top-15-shipowning-countries/#:~:text=In%20total%20the%20world%20merchant,UNCTAD%20statistics%20data%20from%202021.
  2. Dali Accident Report by NTSB (accident March 2024, Report May 14, 2024) : https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/DCA24MM031_PreliminaryReport%203.pdf
  3. Wikipedia Container Ship Propulsion system jpg: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marine-propulsion-system.jpg
  4. Fuel carried by largest Container Ship, Benjamin Franklin example, 4.5 million gallons: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-many-gallons-of-fuel-does-a-container-ship-carry
  5. EIA Report on Petroleum Use for year 2023, 77.2 Quads: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/flow/fossil_fuel_2023.pdf
  6. Maritime Executive, Transport Uses 25% of World Energy: https://maritime-executive.com/article/transport-uses-25-percent-of-world-energy
  7. Ron Stein article,Published February 19 ,2024 at America Lout Loud NEWS, “Are policymakers oblivious to the importance of crude oil, or are they intentionally sending us back to the 18th century?
    https://www.americaoutloud.news/are-policymakers-oblivious-to-the-importance-of-crude-oil-or-are-they-intentionally-sending-us-back-to-the-18th-century/
  8. Interesting reference book on much about Geography and Shipping: https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter5/maritime-transportation/
  9. United Nations report on Decarbonization pressures on Maritime Industry: https://www.unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2023ch3_en.pdf
  10. Denton Texas, 225 MW Reciprocating Engine Power Plant, using Wartsilla Gas Engines: https://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/2018/06/11/denton-energy-center-to-begin-operations-next-month/
    https://www.wartsila.com/media/news/21-09-2016-wartsila-supplies-225-mw-power-plant-to-the-city-of-denton-texas-usa
    https://www.cityofdenton.com/335/Denton-Energy-Center-DEC
  11. Wartsilla Marine Engines and Generating Sets:
    https://www.wartsila.com/marine/products/engines-and-generating-sets
  12. POWER Magazine article on Wartsilla Gas Engine Plant in Michigan: https://www.powermag.com/new-gas-fired-plants-come-online-in-michigan/

Coal’s Final Battle

Reasonable cost, Dependable, Affordable and Dispatchable coal power generation has been mortally wounded.

We, the American People Must win the War on Coal

From Sierra Club website, May 18, 2024; https://coal.sierraclub.or

Who are the Enemies of Coal?

On enemies, Sun Tzu said “Know the enemy and know yourself in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril”.(1)

Most of the American people have no idea of who the enemies of coal are. In fact, I worked in the coal power industry for about thirty years before I became aware of some of them. The true facts are, that there are multiple entities and organizations that are enemies. Let’s call them “Carbon Hating Tribes”. These Tribes include rogue Bureaucrats (alphabet agencies of the U.S. Federal Gov’t) politicians, Well funded NGO’s, Public education K-12 plus many Universities, Public Broadcasting, Billionaires who do not understand the importance of Domestically produced Primary energy, U.S. elected politicians, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the MSM, the Entertainment Industry, celebrities and foreign participants that wish to weaken the U.S.A. I tried to capture some of the prominent anti Carbon Tribes in one meme which I have used in my public presentations. Most of the leaders and the members of these anti-coal Tribes, are NOT elected by the U.S. citizens . I have written several previous commentaries naming some of the individuals and organizations. (6, 207, 208) A Congressional report also outlined the escalation of the war on coal during the McCarthy years at EPA in the Obama Administration. (10)

More on the influencers of Net-Zero Carbon before. Here, here and here. After years of observations from the industry and research, I am of the strong opinion that the priorities and goals of “Climate Policies” are really not about improving human health or saving the planet. Thomas Shepstone captured my thoughts in his Substack entitled, “Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism(210)

Those of us that understand energy and electricity generation are a small minority that I estimate at 3% of the population. The “Good Guys” that understand energy and electricity generation are vastly outnumbered and out shouted. The enemies of coal are also the enemies of Liberty, Freedom and Capitalism.

Are You Worried About the Future of the U.S.A.?

This excerpt from my previous blog post and it is worth repeating. This is from my commentary entitled, “Are You Worried about the Future of the U.S.A.?” I posted this the day after inauguration day, January 21, 2021.

Background of The War on Coal

Dairyland Power Demolition of Genoa #3 Coal Plant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68N2IFQuk70
Duke energy implosion video on you tube-https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2016/11/09/watch-implosion-bring-down-last-boiler-at-sutton-steam-plant-outside-wilmington-video/24585489007/

The U.S. Government is Choosing Euthanasia for our Energy & Electricity Generation Infrastructure. Why?

I saw a bizarre story in the “Free Press” about a perfectly healthy young woman that has decided to end her life. The article title: “I’m 28. And I’m Scheduled to Die in May.“I did not make this up, read it here in the Free Press. After a dozen years of watching Obama, Biden, Swamp Bureaucrats, NGO’s, the MSM, Entertainment and energy ignorant but wealthy celebrities demonize coal….the planned death of Zoraya ter Beek seems similar. The big difference is, Zoraya Ter Beek has made her decision by herself. The American people are having Euthanasia of our energy and electricity infrastructure forced on us and likely to cause economic harm, pain, suffering and deaths of our American citizens. Being done in plain sight, eyes wide open and the perpetrators have about 50% of the voters support. Wake up America!

So much for “We the People” having a say into policies that impact all of us and all that we do. (Note the meme above of energy policy influences, none were elected by the people of the U.S.)Think about loss of power, loss of gasoline availability and cancellation of public transportation. Loss of heating, HVAC, refrigeration and just about everything we depend on, including food production and distribution. Dr. Robert Hargraves wrote an excellent article on “Energy IS the Economy“. It is here in Grid Brief, Nov. 2022. I live in Hilton Head, SC. The last time I remember losing power and having gasoline shortages was Hurricane Mathew in 2016. It has been very easy for many residents to forget what loss of power meant for just a few days. In February 2021, Texas suffered a massive statewide Blackout. That was in winter and cold kills more people than summer heat. The Texas Blackout killed a minimum of 246 people. I predict that, If the EPA and the Biden Administration is not reined in, more people will die in the near future. Why? Because of Bureaucratically enacted and foolish Climate Policies. Keep in mind electricity supply is comfortably easy to sustain during the spring and fall months. The challenge is PEAK Demand periods in the summer and winter. Perhaps that is one reason the EPA and the administration release these excessively restrictive rules in the spring and fall? I wrote my commentary on “Threats to the Grid” last month. It is here. An excerpt of that commentary listing the ten largest threats to Grid Reliability follow. These are based on my experience and my opinion:

The top 10 “Threats” are ranked, with the greatest risks first. All of these risks could be mitigated if energy and environmental policies were in effect the same as they were in 2012 when the U.S. had amongst the cleanest air in the industrialized and Developed world. There is a lot of blame to be spread around, but these policies are threats to Grid reliability.

  1. Government Agency Climate Policies, EPA at the top, SEC, BLM, DOD, DOJ and all of government is wrongly applying “Climate First” policies rather than the Best policies for America and younger Americans to experience the “American Dream” as my generation did
  2. Creation of RTO’s that absolved most utilities from planning for future electric generation growth, ie, plants can be shut down without a Utility being required to replace it with like, Dispatchable generation
  3. Environmental Extremist/Activists that use enormous wealth to demonize carbon (and support (D) politicians against the Best interests of the U.S.A.
  4. Wealthy Business people who fund NGO’s to Decarbonize the western world
  5. The United Nations IPCC, Agenda 21, Agenda 30 and other so called “Climate Policies”
  6. The World Economic Forum and the members who under the guise of saving the planet are forcing policies of De-Growth, De-Industrialization and Energy Poverty on all of the people of the western world, but not the BRICS, and other countries aligned with Russia and China
  7. “Woke” or “Politically Correct” companies including electric Utilities and Co-Operatives that espouse solar and wind power as being capable of replacing coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy
  8. Public Education, K-12 and Universities that promote climate scare tactics to sway public opinion toward accepting higher energy costs and reduced reliability of energy and electricity
  9. World Bank, IMF, Large Banking and Investment companies that determine which infrastructure projects to finance
  10. Terrorists or criminal acts of sabotage When I first wrote this commentary, I placed terrorsists as last in the hierarchy of risks. Now, with millions of illegal immigrants from dozens of countries, some that are enemies of the U.S. Perhaps the priority should be higher. It is in fact, a risk to Grid reliability and Green Policies have made the Grid more vulnerable to attack.

The American Coal Council Letter to Elected Officials-May 17, 2024

Emily Arthun, President of the American Coal Council prepared a letter for supporters to sign and submit to Congress. The letter is copied below and I support Ms. Arthun’s comments 100%! I have submitted to my elected officials:

Dear Senator Graham, Senator Scott and Congresswoman Mace,

As you know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a number of new regulations, such as the Clean Power Plan 2.0 (CPP 2.0), the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), new rules around coal combustion residuals (CCR), and others that will have direct and detrimental impact on coal-fired power plants and the people that depend on them for reliable and affordable power. I urge you to hold agencies accountable for overreach and careless rulemaking which is intended to force coal plant closures and endangers the reliability of our electric grid.

Coal supplies affordable power when other sources cannot. It plays a critical role during times of intense demand, such as during cold snaps and heat waves, ensuring that the lights stay on and the grid remains reliable. According to recent reports, electric utilities have nearly doubled their forecasts of how much additional power they’ll need by 2028 given the torrid pace of data center development and other manufacturing demands that are putting new pressures on the grid. Despite the promise of renewable energy technologies, coal remains a critical energy source that must remain in use to prevent crippling energy costs to low-income families and to ensure energy shortages do not put unmanageable pressures on the grid.

The EPA has crafted a suite of rules specifically designed to force the closure of reliable and efficiently operating coal plants. These plants are the primary source of power generation in many states, and a significant source of grid-saving baseload power across the country. Further, the EPA issued these rules while conducting zero analysis of the collective impact of the new rules on grid reliability. EPA’s rules fail to account for the fact that electricity prices are increasing above the rate of inflation, demand is expanding, grid experts are already issuing warnings concerning plant closures, and there is no adequate replacement ready for the sorely needed, dispatchable generating capacity coal provides. Further shuttering coal generation will have a devastating impact to communities and our economy.

Thank you for considering my concerns, and I hope you will take swift action to support reliable and affordable energy for United States citizens and industry.”

I hope each reader will send a similar letter to your elected officials. The EPA and extremists are at War with the American People. We the People MUST win this final battle.

America is Blessed With Enormous Natural Resources of Critical Minerals and Including Coal, Uranium, Oil and Natural Gas. We Should Use them All!

Why would “We the People”...Not use the God given natural resources that America is Blessed with? A good question. My previous commentaries have expounded on the individuals, NGO’s, and others that have created the insane Net-Zero Carbon policies. Because I have written so much on this, I will not repeat my concerns and some would say, my rant. However, if you are interested, here are fourteen blog posts that attempt to show who and how the anti-American Climate Policies have come to be. The Biden Climate Policies must be reversed to win the War on America’s Productive capacity and the Best interests for the American People;

  1. Energy=Life as We Enjoy it, Aug. 22, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/
  2. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  
  3.  Pillars of Modern Civilization, Ammonia, Food, Steel, Concrete, Plastics, Aluminum, July 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  4. THE ERA OF RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION: PART 1 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/10/04/the-era-of-reliable-affordable-energy-and-electricity-generation-part-1/
  5. The Green Energy Crisis is Here, Part 1, Sept. 17, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/29/the-green-energy-crisis-is-here-part-1/
  6. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 2, “Meet Some of the People that Caused it”,  June 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/14/green-energy-crisis-part-2-meet-the-policy-makers-that-caused-it/
  7. The Green Energy Crisis, Part 3, June 26, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/06/26/green-energy-crisis-part-3-public-energy-education-is-needed-each-person-in-the-u-s-uses-about-315-million-btus-of-primary-energy-year-this-is-not-practical-or-even-possible-to-replace-with-win/
  8. Without New Thinking on Nuclear Power, Anti-Carbon Policy Can’t Succeed, Nov. 11, 2021 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/11/13/without-new-thinking-on-nuclear-power-anti-carbon-climate-policy-cant-succeed/
  9. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 1,  79 Quadrillion BTUs, The Enormity of the Fossil Energy Systems Providing Sustainable Lives, Jan. 11, 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/01/11/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-1-79-quadrillion-btusthe-enormity-of-the-fossil-energy-systems-providing-sustainable-lives/
  10. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 2, The Reality of Replacing Conventional Forms of Energy, Jan. 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/06/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-2-some-facts-on-the-reality-of-replacing-conventional-forms-of-energy/
  11.  Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 3, The Transition that Isn’t, from the perspective of Minerals, Feb. 8, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/08/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-part-3-the-transition-that-isnt-from-the-perspective-of-minerals/
  12. Facing the Hard Truths of Energy, Part 4, The True Agenda for Climate Policies, Feb. 13, 2024: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/02/13/facing-the-hard-truths-of-energy-electricity-generation-and-environmental-protection-part-4-what-is-the-true-agenda-for-climate-policies/
  13. Energy Matters! March 2024 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2024/03/11/energy-matters/
  14. America Needs 100 Quadrillion BTUs of Primary Energy Each Year, May 16, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/  

Closing Thoughts

There is a parallel strategy by the enemies of coal. Today it is a war on coal, later they will (actually, they already are) attack natural gas and oil, your freedom of transportation, what you eat, how you cook and more.. Even worse, the forces against coal are also against the one zero carbon source of carbon-free dependable, Dispatchable Bulk Power, nuclear. The Sierra Club and other extremist NGO’s have been opposed to nuclear power. So, if it is not protecting human health or the environment, then what is their motive? My friend Thomas J. Shepstone has an answer in a Substack post we corroborated on titled, Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism

Please Consider…..

Yours very truly,

Dick Storm, May 18, 2024

If you are interested in digging down for more research, then here are hundreds of references to support my claim that the EPA and Environmental Zealots have America on a Net Zero Path to Destruction:

  1. Defense Department article on “Knowing your Enemy”: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA440962#:~:text=Abstract%3A,battle%20to%20be%20in%20peril
  2. NERC Summer Reliability Report, May 2024: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_SRA_2024.pdf
  3. Good Substack contribution to explain Who/Why/How the Grid Reliability became “Undermined-Electrons Have Consequences” Energy IQ, by Pandreco, April 14, 2024: https://pandreco.substack.com/p/undermining-electrons-have-consequences
  4. Quanta Technology Study Report on Power Generation Shortages, report for America’s Power, Feb. 2024: https://americaspower.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Quanta-Final-Feb-2024-3.pdf
  5. You Tube Lars Schernikau on Honest Pay Back of Renewables, : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa8Q8MoWfrU
  6. IER Report on U.S. Treasure of Energy Resources, May 2024: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-North-American-Energy-Inventory.pdf
  7. Wide Awake Media website. Videos and info from the Common Sense Viewpoint: https://wide-awake-media.com
  8. FERC Order #1920 is a costly shell game”,  Increased Transmission & Distribution is Not Helpful, by Travis Fisher, May 2024: https://travisfisher.substack.com/p/fercs-order-no-1920-a-costly-shell
  9. “We Keep Being Told Renewables are Cheap, But Our Electric Bills Keep Getting Higher” A review of the true costs of renewables in WUWT, May 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/17/debunking-the-cheap-renewables-myth/
  10. Congressional Report on the Obama Carbon Mandate, 2015: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  11. Dick Storm Presentation to Columbus Energy Forum, Columbus, Ohio August 2022:  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_presentation-and-speakers-notes-from-august-activity-7068650158862827520-B-_W?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  12. Dick Storm Panel comments at Powergen International-2024: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_i-had-the-honor-of-being-on-a-powergen-panel-activity-7156046708139782144-zPoZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  13. Dick Storm Blog post, What would it take to achieve Net-Zero Carbon by 2050? : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/12/what-would-it-take-for-net-zero-electricity-generation-by-2050/
  14. Dick Storm Blog post, Wake up Americans: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  15. Grid Brief, “Energy IS the Economy” by Robert Hargraves, Nov. 15, 2022: https://www.gridbrief.com/p/guest-feature-energy-economy
  16. A Thriving Economy and Clean Air Too, Oct. 23, 2020 : https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/10/23/part-6-a-thriving-economy-and-clean-air-too/
  17. Energy Matters If You Value the Life You Now Have and Don’t Want to Live Under Socialism” https://open.substack.com/pub/energysecurityfreedom/p/energy-matters-if-you-value-the-life?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email  
  18. 114th Congress, Majority Staff Report, Obama’s Carbon Mandate, August 2015: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  19. War on Carbon Accomplishes Two Things, Jan. 30, 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/01/30/us-war-on-carbon-accomplishes-two-things/
  20. Dick Storm Blog, “The Stupidity of Net-Zero Carbon”. Oct. 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/10/13/the-stupidity-of-net-zero-carbon/
  21. Dick Storm Blog, “What is Endangered, “Climate or Freedom” 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/02/27/what-is-endangered-climate-or-freedom-this-is-the-sub-title-of-the-book-blue-planet-in-green-shackles/  
  22. Dick Storm Blog on Biden EO to Cancel Keystone Pipeline, March 2021: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2021/03/03/presidential-executive-order-signed-by-biden-that-will-harm-the-u-s-economy/
  23. Short Link to OLLI Course Understanding Net Zero, March 20, 2023: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-No
  24.  Website: https://dickstormprobizblog.org https://wordpress.com/posts/dickstormprobizblog.orgDick Storm Link: What Would it Take to Reach Net Zero Carbon by 2050: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/12/what-would-it-take-for-net-zero-electricity-generation-by-2050/
  25. America Has No Energy Policy, So What are You Going to do About it”: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/12/03/america-has-no-energy-policy-so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it
  26. Comparison of China and U.S. Energy Use, January 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/18/comparison-of-china-energy-electricity-generation-with-u-s-a/
  27. Energy and Economic Prosperity, Dick Storm Blog, Nov. 18, 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/18/energy-and-economic-prosperity-2/  
  28. Americas Treasure of Fossil Fuels, Nov. 2022: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/11/26/americas-treasure-of-fossil-fuels/ Short link: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-Bn
  29. America’s Treasure of Fossil Fuels: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-Bn
  30. Dick Storm March USCB-OLLI Course LinkedIn Link, Part 1: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_my-uscb-olli-course-understanding-net-zero-ugcPost-7039925623305248769-Qe6u?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  31. Part 2: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_uscb-olli-understanding-net-zero-part-2-activity-7039928018206695424-s6i7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  32. Energizing the Public on the Impossibility of Achieving Net-Zero Carbon: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/03/20/educating-and-energizing-the-public-on-energy-policy-and-the-impossibility-of-powering-america-with-wind-and-solar/
  33. Back to Basics, America Needs 100 Quads per Year of Energy: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/
  34. Energy=Life, The Importance of Energy to Power our Lives: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/08/22/energy-life-that-is-life-as-we-enjoy-it/  
  35. Liberty Energy Report, “Bettering Human Lives” : https://www.libertyenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Bettering-Human-Lives-Liberty-Energy-ESG-Report-2021-Spreads-Web-2.pdf
  36. Science Matters on the Roots of Environmentalism, Jan 2023: https://rclutz.com/2023/01/06/from-nature-conservation-to-climate-calamity/#like-28807
  37. EIA 2021 Electricity Generation Statistics: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php
  38.  Bjorn Lomborg Science Direct, Jan. 2023: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162520304157
  39. TVA Rolling Blackouts report in Tennessean, Jan, 2023: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2022/12/23/why-tennessee-valley-authority-ordered-rolling-blackouts-in-nashville/69754538007/
  40. N.C. Utilities Commission Testimony of Bradford Muller of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, Blackouts, Christmas 2022:https://starw1.ncuc.gov/NCUC/ViewFile.aspx?Id=54fbaba6-76d3-4367-abe2-ee3f8fade516
  41. North State Journal article on NC Electricity Policies by Bradford Muller: https://nsjonline.com/article/2023/01/muller-the-christmas-catastrophe-near-miss/
  42. WUNC Report on Cold Weather Blackouts in N.C. https://www.wunc.org/2023-01-06/cold-weather-blackouts-challenge-conventional-wisdom-on-reliability
  43.  Great Plains Institute Warning, Aug 2022 of Blackouts due to insufficient Generation capacity:  https://betterenergy.org/blog/qa-blackout-risks-underscore-resilience-reliability-investment-needs-for-us-power-grid/
  44. MISO Blackout Warning from Riverland Energy: https://riverlandenergy.com/miso-maximum-generation-warnings
  45.  E&E News on Blackout warning, August 2022: https://www.eenews.net/articles/why-the-midwest-worries-about-future-blackouts/
  46.  American Experiment Article, in Minnesota discussing Blackout risks, June 2022: https://www.americanexperiment.org/why-the-risk-of-blackouts-in-minnesota-continues-to-grow/
  47.  Net Zero Watch, UK Experience with Wind Farms, January 7, 2023: https://mailchi.mp/86e68627c77f/payments-for-windfarms-to-switch-off-soar-to-quarter-billion-pounds-193411?e=9e46528ac6
  48. World Nuclear Association Info on Nuclear Power Contribution to Reducing Manmade Carbon Dioxide Emissions:  https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/energy-and-the-environment/nuclear-energy-and-sustainable-development.aspx
  49. Solar Disappointment in the Southwest, National Review, Jan 4, 2023:  https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/01/a-bright-shining-disappointment/
  50. ESG Directive from Biden, reported in Oil & Gas Journal, Jan. 2023: https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/government/article/14288039/biden-administration-directs-agencies-to-prioritize-ghg-reductions  
  51. CO2 Coalition: https://co2coalition.org
  52. Physicist Wallace Manheimer on CO2, January 2023: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745  Abstract here: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/47745
  53. National Mining Assoc.: https://nma.org/facts-stats-and-data/
  54. E&E News, TVA Bellefonte Nuclear Plant for auction: https://www.eenews.net/articles/for-sale-2-unfinished-reactors-with-hope-for-jobs/
  55. E&E News Electric Hummer fueling EV Backlash: https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-the-hummer-is-fueling-a-backlash-against-electric-trucks/
  56. Ron Clutz Post, Before Biden, Trump Accomplishments: https://rclutz.com/2023/01/15/the-good-old-days-b-b-before-biden/#like-28933
  57. Elements Visualization of sources of Power by Fuel, U.S. & Canada: https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/biggest-sources-of-electricity-by-state-and-province/
  58. Elements Best Commodities of 2022: https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/the-top-10-best-and-worst-performing-commodities-of-2022/
  59. China to Build 16 GW POWER Mag: of Solar-Coal-Wind, Jan. 2023: https://www.powermag.com/china-breaks-ground-on-massive-16-gw-solar-wind-coal-project/  
  60. Forbes on China Generating Capacity, about 2,390 GW, Feb 2022: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2022/04/26/coal-to-power-chinas-energy-transition/?sh=7437abc81b9e
  61. EIA China Energy Facts, 2021 : https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/CHN
  62. IEA China Energy Feb 2022: https://www.iea.org/countries/china
  63. Carbon Brief.org: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-what-does-chinas-coal-push-mean-for-its-climate-goals/
  64.  World of CO2 new website, Jan. 2023: https://www.the-world-of-co2.org
  65.  Science Matters by Ron Clutz: https://rclutz.com/2023/01/17/world-of-co2-infographics-2/comment-page-1/#comment-44254
  66. Carbon Footprint by country, World Population Review : https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/carbon-footprint-by-country
  67. WUWT Weaponizing Alarmism on Climate, Steven Koonin and Jordan Peterson: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/17/unsettled-climate-and-science-dr-steven-koonin/
  68. Davos 2023, China to Boost Oil Demand by at least 500,000 BBL’s/day: https://energynow.com/2023/01/davos-2023-china-to-boost-oil-demand-by-up-to-500000-bpd/
  69. State of American Energy by API President, Jan. 2023: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm&ogbl#search/vbourdonneau%40gmail.com/FMfcgzGrcFgJPkrZzLBrPqccDjVNsTTl
  70. State of American Energy Report by API: https://events.api.org/reports/soae-2023/
  71. Rare Earths from coal: https://www.renuva.com
  72. PA Pundits, Pursuit of the Impossible” Net Zero: https://papundits.wordpress.com/2022/12/21/net-zero-the-pursuit-of-the-impossible/?blogsub=subscribed#subscribe-blog
  73. WSJ, Chinese Projects around world are failing, January 19, 2023: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-global-mega-projects-infrastructure-falling-apart-11674166180?mod=trending_now_news_1
  74.  Jay Lehr Tribute with many references on page, Jan. 21, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/21/climate-change-weekly-459-remembering-jay-lehr-scholar-truth-seeker-friend-eternal-optimist/
  75. C. Paul Smith “Closing Argument on the Climate Change Hoax”: https://www.cpaulsmith.com/palmyra-bookstore/the-climate-change-hoax-argument/
  76.  Grid Down PowerUp:  https://griddownpowerup.com
  77. Global Electricity Prices: https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
  78.  EMP Commission Reports: http://www.empcommission.org
  79.  Energy Dept. Report on Transformers for Grid: https://www.energy.gov/oe/addressing-security-and-reliability-concerns-large-power-transformers
  80. Detailed report on Transformer Manufacturers of world, see pgs 19-23 on suppliers: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/04/f15/LPTStudyUpdate-040914.pdf  
  81.  WSJ AMERICA SELF-SABOTAGES GRID: https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-self-sabotages-its-electrical-grid-renewable-fossil-fuel-power-11672685320
  82.  US Grid Real Time power: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/electric_overview/US48/US48
  83. WUWT The Future of Oil : https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/24/does-the-oil-industry-have-a-future-part-i/
  84. WUWT The Future of Oil pt 2: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/26/should-nations-stop-using-fossil-fuels-part-ii/
  85. WUWT The Future of Oil Pt #3: Master Resource: https://www.masterresource.org/mexico-energy-policy/oil-inustry-salazar-2/
  86. National Review, Russians Fund Environmentalists: https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/how-russia-backed-environmentalism-is-leading-to-blackouts-in-new-england/
  87. German Extremists, Funded by Russia: https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/01/putins-green-fifth-column/
  88.  Harvard Misinformation/Study on Fossil Fuels: https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2021/02/deaths-fossil-fuel-emissions-higher-previously-thoughthttps://thethoriumnetwork.com/2022/04/21/episode-15-clean-air-and-water-not-with-fossil-fuels-around-death-by-fossil-unintended-consequences-chapter-7-part-1/
  89. Dr. Timothy Ball Paper on the Deliberate Corruption of Science, 2014: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  90. Tim Ball, CO2 is not a pollutant 2018: https://www.technocracy.news/tim-ball-the-evidence-proves-that-co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas/
  91.  Ugly Wind Farms Headed for Magic Valley Idaho, The Federalist, January 26, 2023: https://thefederalist.com/2023/01/27/climate-extremists-hideous-wind-farms-are-coming-to-your-backyard/
  92.  World Nuclear Assoc. and EPRI Presentations, Dec. 2022:  https://epri.box.com/s/8uu46f5hoo3x9loni23qvvmdopz7eg62  
  93. Real Clear Energy, “Are you Really against Fossil Fuels?”:  https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2023/01/24/are_you_really_against_fossil_fuels_read_this_before_you_answer_877363.html  
  94. WUWT Climate Alarmists Greatest Fear, Jan. 29, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/29/the-climate-alarmists-greatest-fear/
  95. Being Pro-Nuclear isn’t enough, POWER Magazine, Feb. 2023: https://www.powermag.com/being-pro-nuclear-wont-be-enough-heres-why/?oly_enc_id=6322G7698190D8A
  96. Charlie Munger’s Warning on printing too much cash. Interesting and worrisome, Jan. 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH2ddOyw8KU
  97. Washington Examiner Feb, 2, 2023: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/anti-police-and-environmentalist-activists-share-the-same-goal-the-destruction-of-the-american-system
  98. Ken Wilson, P. Eng. Canada, IPCC vs. Facts, CO2 Coalition Feb.. 2023:  https://co2coalition.org/publications/ipcc-vs-the-facts-the-case-for-climate-realism/
  99. CO2 Coalition, Publications, All Excellent: https://co2coalition.org/publication_category/member-publications/
  100. GWPF UK Study, Where are the Engineers” By Professor Michael Kelly : https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/05/KellyDecarb-1.pdf
  101. GWPF NZ Professor, Michael Kelly: http://www.bryanleyland.co.nz/power-industry-stuff.html
  102.  Samuel Furfari,  “Hydrogen, an old Idea and still Windy”: https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/features/hydrogen-a-century-old-idea-and-still-windy/
  103. New England Electricity Sources during cold February week: https://blackmon.substack.com/p/saturdays-energy-absurdity-meredith/comments
  104. U.S. Dept of Energy Plan to Net Zero on NPR Feb. 4, 2023:  https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1148370220/biden-renewable-energy-goals
  105. Paul Harvey, “If I Were the Devil” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NoQHgjM_0
  106. Canary Media Electrify Everything, Feb. 6, 2023:  https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/home-of-the-future-climate-friendly-electrified-and-closer-than-ever?utm_campaign=canary&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=244754760&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–6rlMJjZBNphFujAKeUSOclhM7MDo3MAq3t8u3MAn-Hv5pscN1RZ8R1qq_RNf10dSqng0r9Wbyq214_bxo0U_i_LgE4Bn5CS-Zttgn5ClFXBvgoBU&utm_source=newsletter
  107. Judith Curry Blog, 2016, “Balancing the Grid” : https://judithcurry.com/2016/09/12/balance-and-the-grid/
  108. American Coalition of Clean Coal Energy, 2016 Report on Economics: http://www.americaspower.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Family-Energy-Costs-2016.pdf
  109. WUWT on Use of Academic Studies, Feb 7, 2023, Includes good links to Planning Engineer and Economic consequences of unreliable power: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/12/academics-and-the-grid-part-i-i-dont-think-that-study-means-what-you-think-it-means/
  110. USGS List of Critical Materials/Metals: https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals
  111. Stanford Univ. Clean Energy Course: https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/WWSBook/WWSBook.html
  112. NMA Blog (National Mining Assoc): https://mineralsmakelife.org/blog/how-to-make-2023-the-year-of-minings-renaissance/
  113. Master Resource, Does the Oil Industry Have a Future?: https://www.masterresource.org/mexico-energy-policy/oil-industry-salazar-1/
  114. Capital Research Center Publication, Dec. 2022: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Capital-Research-2022-8.pdf?blm_aid=59207
  115. The Critic: “The End of Civilization, 2035” : https://thecritic.co.uk/2035-the-end-of-civilisation/
  116. New York Post, Get Ready for Lights out and Heat off in 2040: https://nypost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/nypost.com/2023/02/09/get-ready-for-the-lights-and-heat-to-go-out/amp/
  117. The Critic: Energy Planning in the UK, a Horror Story: https://thecritic.co.uk/british-energy-planning-a-horror-story/
  118. WUWT Climate Activists Celebrate your Utility Bill Pain, Profitability of Protesting Fossil Fuels: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/12/atlantic-climate-activists-celebrate-your-utility-bill-pain/
  119. Ron Clutz, “There will be Hell to Pay from Social and IRA Spending Binge: https://rclutz.com/2023/02/11/therell-be-hell-to-pay/#like-29514
  120. Power Outage Tracking web sites:
    https://lnkd.in/gEyJJX-Y
    https://poweroutage.us/
    https://www.iso-ne.com/
  121. Daniel Yergin on LinkedIn, Energy Transition Confronts Reality, Feb. 14: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/energy-transition-confronts-reality-daniel-yergin/?trackingId=tuMcIZAi2b0pHD5sopvB9w%3D%3D 
  122. Energy World, Feb. 13 “EU Warns US on A Crisis Mode Overhaul of Energy Market” and Change to Green Energy: https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/countries-warn-eu-against-crisis-mode-overhaul-of-energy-market/97855704 
  123. Finland GTK Time to Wake up Slide Presentation: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/
  124. Heartland Institute 2015 Summary of Obama Carbon Rules: https://heartland.org/opinion/senate-exposes-epa-green-group-secret-collusion-on-carbon-rules/
  125. CNBC Interview with Liberty Energy CEO, Chris Wright: https://lnkd.in/gyeD9Jdf  
  126. NZ/UK Professor Michel Kelly & Bryan Leyland Web page:  http://www.bryanleyland.co.nz/power-industry-stuff.html
  127. Professor Michael Kelly web page:   https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/05/KellyDecarb-1.pdf
  128. WUWT Electricity Prices Rising Due to Wind & Solar Installations, Feb. 22, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/20/wind-solar-and-household-electricity-prices/
  129. Climate Depot website for renewables production costs: https://www.climatedepot.com/2018/01/25/who-would-have-thought-nations-with-more-renewables-have-more-expensive-electricity/
  130. Vogtle Nuclear Plant Update, also info on SCE&G Summer 2&3, Feb. 20, 2023:  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/21/still-more-vogtle-nuclear-delays-how-will-it-end/ 
  131. Union of Concerned Scientists Clarification on Nuclear Power, 2018: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/11/23/ucs-clarifies-stance-on-nuclear-power/
  132. “Renewables are cheaper than 99% of coal plants” Utility Dive, Feb. 9, 2023: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/renewables-cheaper-energy-than-99-percent-of-us-coal-plants-just-energy-transition/642393/
  133. Presentation by Nat Bullard on Renewables and total world energy, January 2023:  https://www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
  134. Electricity Rates in U.S. : https://quickelectricity.com/cost-of-electricity-per-kwh-by-state/
  135.  Power Lines Map, U.S. Geosciences: https://atlas.eia.gov/apps/eia::all-energy-infrastructure-and-resources/explore
  136. Daily Skeptic, Feb. 23, 2023, by 30 year Reuter’s veteran Journalist “I Thought CO2 Was Causing Global Warming, I was Wrong”: https://dailysceptic.org/2023/02/23/when-i-covered-climate-change-for-reuters-i-thought-co2-was-to-blame-for-rising-temperatures-i-was-wrong/
  137. Europe’s Industry Crippled by high Energy Costs NYT, Sept. 2022: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/business/europe-energy-crisis-factories.html
  138. Power Engineering article on Hydrogen Hub: https://www.power-eng.com/policy-regulation/doe-encourages-33-groups-to-submit-regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-applications/
  139. Is Green Energy China’s Trojan Horse? Western Standard by Joseph FOURNIER, OCT. 2022: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/is-green-energy-the-chinese-communist-partys-trojan-horse/article_6bbc2b04-50a5-11ed-bdc4-9b18b8d01f80.html
  140. China to build 106 GW of new coal plants March 2023: https://chinadialogue.net/en/energy/two-sessions-chinese-provinces-push-coal-and-clean-energy/
  141. WUWT Post, ”Gas Generated Electricity is less expensive than Wind”: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/gas-power-is-cheaper-than-wind-despite-carbon-briefs-claims/
  142. Dr. Judith curry, Climate Uncertainty review by WUWT: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/judith-curry-part-1-presentation-about-her-new-book-tom-nelson-podcast-77/
  143. WSJ LNG Paths from Texas to France: https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-fracked-gas-ukraine-invasion-europe-import-9e5cc725?mod=hp_lead_pos7
  144. Alex Epstein, Talking Points on the Importance of Energy for Human Flourishing: https://alexepstein.substack.com/p/some-of-my-favorite-talking-points?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  145. WUWT Energy and Military Strength, March 3, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/03/russias-biggest-weapon-and-chinas-too-is-fossil-fuel-energy/
  146. Has Al Gore ever been right on Climate? Capital Research Center, March 2023: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-1/?blm_aid=59207
  147. Feasibility of Achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2050, by Professor Michael Kelly: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/04/feasibility-for-achieving-a-net-zero-economy-for-the-u-s-by-2050/
  148. Wind Power Report by IRENA : https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Wind-energy
  149. Judith Curry Website on Cost of wind power: https://judithcurry.com/2015/05/12/true-costs-of-wind-electricity/f https://judithcurry.com/2015/05/12/true-costs-of-wind-electricity/
  150. The Conversation on Why are Household Electricity Prices Going Up If Wind is so Cheap?: https://theconversation.com/renewables-are-cheaper-than-ever-so-why-are-household-energy-bills-only-going-up-174795
  151. Boston Energy Costs High, Feb. 2023: https://www.bostonsolar.us/solar-blog-resource-center/blog/why-are-energy-costs-so-high-this-winter/
  152. Electricity Prices U.S. by EIA, Feb. 2023: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/tables/pdf/7ctab.pdf
  153. PSU-Basic Economics of Power Generation: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eme801/node/530
  154. Global Energy Institute, Chamber of Commerce, Electricity Costs across the U.S.A. :https://www.globalenergyinstitute.org/average-electricity-retail-prices-mapc
  155. Combustion Engineering Archived photos,: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2018/jun/01/made-chattanooga/
  156. You Tube, Foreign video of Nuclear Reactor being manufactured: https://www.nuclear-power.com/nuclear-power-plant/nuclear-reactor/reactor-pressure-vessel/
  157. 41 Realities on Energy, By Mark Mills: 
    https://fee-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/fee.org/articles/41-inconvenient-truths-on-the-new-energy-economy/amp
      
  158. WSJ EV Sales Jolt, Jan 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-ev-sales-jolted-higher-in-2022-as-newcomers-target-tesla-11672981834
  159. CFACT Electricity Prices Soaring where Wind Power is high % of generation: https://www.cfact.org/2023/03/07/electricity-prices-are-soaring-in-heavy-wind-energy-states/?mc_cid=993d261e3e&mc_eid=2f8550900e
  160. Climate Fact Check from Junk Science, March 7, 2023: https://junkscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Climate-Fact-Check_February-2023-Edition_v2.pdf
  161. CFACT, Ron Stein excellent essay on the importance of Energy, March 2023: https://www.cfact.org/2023/03/08/american-suppression-of-fossil-fuels-courts-a-national-security-disaster/
  162. Climate Policies will Cost Germany 960 + Billion and still will not make much difference…..:https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/08/claim-climate-change-will-cost-germany-960-billion-by-2050/
  163. WSJ Coal Provides the Fuel Needed for Germany to Keep the Lights on in 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-coal-energy-electricity-renewables-4700b442?mod=opinion_lead_pos2
  164. Visual Capitalist Coal in Asia, March 2023: https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/asias-biggest-sources-of-electricity-by-country/
  165. Daily Caller. Biden’s EPA Rule to Kill Off Coal Plants, March 8, 2023: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dailycaller.com/2023/03/08/biden-epa-new-regs/&source=gmail&ust=1678615516765000&usg=AOvVaw0di3ndkkR73iVUOKpvIzfh
  166. World Nuclear News, France to Build more Nuclear Plants: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/French-Senate-adopts-bill-on-accelerating-nuclear
  167. Capital Research Center on Al Gore’s 30 years of wrong predictions: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-1/
  168. James Brooks, RBAC on bringing improved living conditions to Billions: https://rbac.com/rbacs-role-in-bringing-energy-to-a-billion-people/
  169. Cyrus Brooks Video on Renewables, Outstanding communication in 2 minutes: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cyrus-brooks-03274713_energy-power-energybills-ugcPost-7040102595239055360-BoVt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 
  170. The Real Price of Wind and Solar: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  171. Cowboy State Daily, March 2023: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/03/10/letter-to-the-editor-children-should-be-taught-what-energy-is-so-they-can-fight-idiocy/
  172. NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/#/layer/slr/2/-8988661.48972888/3793092.6353016817/12/satellite/none/0.8/2050/interHigh/midAccretion
  173. Maurice Strong Story: http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/wizard_baca_grande_1990.pdf
  174. China, Sinopec CCS Plant, Feb. 2023:  https://cen.acs.org/business/investment/Sinopec-completes-China-first-large-carbon-capture-plant/100/i5
  175. Self Sabotage the Electric Grid: WSJ January 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-self-sabotages-its-electrical-grid-renewable-fossil-fuel-power-11672685320
  176. The Christmas Grid Emergency: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-christmas-electric-grid-emergency-11672091317?mod=article_inline
  177. Capital Research Testimony by Scott Walter May 2022: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/2022-May-4-Testimony-Finance-Subcom-IRS.pdf
  178. Capital Research Center, Green watch: https://capitalresearch.org/category/green-watch/
  179. NRDC Activist Facts, Influence Watch: https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  180. Donn Dears website, Politics of Energy Policy part 2 and links to purchase his books: https://ddears.com/2022/08/08/the-politics-of-energy-part-2/
  181. Ron Clutz “Science Matters”, website and his take on green Energy: https://rclutz.com/2023/03/17/multiple-choice-question-re-green-energy/#like-30057
  182. Dr. Roy Spencer Website on Atmospheric Science https://www.drroyspencer.com/
  183. Slavery and Child Labor at the Core of Elites’ Green Energy Obsession, by H. Sterling Burnett,   https://heartland.org/opinion/climate-change-weekly-464-slavery-and-child-labor-at-the-core-of-elites-green-energy-obsession/
  184. American Suppression of Fossil Fuels Courts a National Security Disaster, By Ronald Stein P.E.  https://heartland.org/opinion/american-suppression-of-fossil-fuels-courts-a-national-security-disaster/
  185. WSJ The Real Price of Wind and Solar, Renewables Cost More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  186. World’s Climate Scientists Told to Cover Up the Fact the world has not warmed in 15 years, Daily Mail, UK: https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425775/amp/Climate-scientists-told-cover-fact-Earths-temperature-risen-15-years.html  
  187. TED Talk Nuclear Power Is Our Best Hope to Ditch Fossil Fuels | Isabelle Boemeke on the need for more nuclear power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESAaz9v4mSU
  188. WUWT March 20th, 2023, UN- IPCC Climate Warming Report: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/20/ipcc-issues-their-annual-final-climate-warning/
  189. David Blackman Energy Absurdity , EU Renewables, March 25, 2023: https://open.substack.com/pub/blackmon/p/sundays-energy-absurdity-about-those?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
  190. Ed Ireland SubStack on Gas Pipelines, March 21, 2023: https://edireland.substack.com/p/energy-factoid-the-least-us-interstate?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  191. Texas Grid Stability example: https://edireland.substack.com/p/the-texas-power-grid-was-minutes
  192. Who is Brave Enough to Enter the Oil Patch These Days? BOE Report by Terry Etam:  https://boereport.com/2023/03/21/column-who-is-brave-enough-to-enter-the-oil-patch-these-days-a-salute-to-the-few-courageous-and-needed/
  193. WUWT, March 22, 2023, World Energy Use Will Continue to Grow and so Will the Demand for Fossil Fuels: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/22/world-energy-data-confirms-fossil-fuels-will-dominate-future-global-energy-use/
  194. Ron Clutz, Science Matters on Greta Thunberg, March 23, 2023: https://rclutz.com/2023/03/23/greta-thunberg-phd-theology/#like-30179
  195. Climate Etc, Dr.  Judith Curry web site: https://judithcurry.com
  196. Utility Dive article on NuScale SMR: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuscale-power-small-modular-reactor-smr-ieefa-uamps/645554/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20Weekly%20Roundup:%20Utility%20Dive:%20Daily%20Dive%2003-25-2023&utm_term=Utility%20Dive%20Weekender
  197. WUWT Summary of Technical Arguments with IPCC Report, March 27, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/27/weekly-climate-and-energy-news-roundup-545/
  198. The Great Food Reset, Unherd, EU by Thmoas Fazi, March 28, 2023: https://unherd.com/2023/03/the-great-food-reset-has-begun/
  199. George’s Musings (George Angwin) March 23, 2023 Replacing Fossil with Renewables: https://gtangwin.substack.com/p/renewables-only-grid
  200. March 29, 2023, Dr. Samuel Furfari, Hydrogen, A 100 year Old Windy Idea, Still Windy:https://blog.friendsofscience.org/2023/03/29/hydrogen-a-century-old-idea-and-still-windy/  
  201. Power Engineering Magazine, March 2023, Brown’s Ferry New Generator Field: https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/browns-ferry-nuclear-reactor-back-in-service-with-a-new-main-generator/?utm_source=power_engineering_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2023-03-31  
  202. Framatome You Tube video of steam generator replacement: https://youtu.be/RqGFI76yj9E
  203. Framatome Manufacturing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WfWIKkXsc
  204. Bjorn Lomborg Science Direct, Jan. 20233: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162520304157
  205.  Transformers, WUWT Nov. 2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/14/power-transformer-shortage-is-wreaking-havoc-in-the-u-s/
  206. The interaction between heliophysics and the U.S. power grid, this technical webpage is a good place to start. https://www.aer.com/science-research/space/space-weather/
  207. Dick Storm Blog post, “Wake Up Americans!” Sept. 21, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/09/20/please-wake-up-america-your-energy-and-electricity-generation-reliability-are-at-risk/
  208. Influencers of U.S. Energy Policy, January 4, 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/04/influencers-of-american-energy-policy/
  209.  A good introduction to Grid vulnerability, June 18, 2020 by Chris Said, Ph.D. is at https://chris-said.io/2020/06/18/everything-ive-learned-about-solar-storm-risk-and-emp-attacks/  
  210. An assessment of threats to the American power grid” by Weiss and Weiss (2019) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13705-019-0199-y
  211. The web link for the 2008 DTIC report cited above regarding transformer vulnerability has changed. See page 41 of 208 of the report at https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA484672.pdf or http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission.pdf
  212.  “Ensuring Electricity Infrastructure Resilience Against Deliberate Electromagnetic Threats” https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47339
  213. Newsweek article on Transformer Attacks, Dec. 2022: https://www.newsweek.com/physical-attacks-power-substations-multiple-states-1765225
  214. Wind and Inadequate Batteries for Backup: https://stopthesethings.com/2023/03/24/permanent-no-hopers-batteries-no-solution-for-wind-solars-inherent-intermittency/
  215. Dick Storm presentation to ENERUM, August 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_presentation-and-speakers-notes-from-august-activity-7068650158862827520-B-_W?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktophttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7056884647858765824?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7056884647858765824%29
  216. Reuters, Old Nukes Threatened by Parts Obsolescence, April 2023: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nuclear-life-extension-plans-tested-by-obsolete-components-2023-04-05/
  217. China Permits Two Coal Plants each Week during 2022: https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/  
  218. Energy and Clean Air GEM: www.energyandcleanair.org 
  219. Energy Transfer Video, Life, it Takes Energy: https://ittakesenergy.com
  220. Alex Epstein, Fossil Fuels Improve Life: https://www.prageru.com/video/fossil-fuels-the-big-picture?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_6613857
  221. Why are Electric Bills Increasing if more installations of cheap renewable power are being installed?: https://www.prageru.com/video/why-are-utilities-so-expensive
  222. Daily Caller, Earth Day, Celebrating Failures 2023: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/21/opinion-earth-day-celebrates-a-half-century-legacy-of-failure-mike-mckenna/&source=gmail&ust=1682352284111000&usg=AOvVaw0rbUb-Jii4B5UE4dV41uuU
  223. WSJ on What Drives the Division of Rural and Urban Voters, April 18, 2023: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-drives-political-polarization-geography-republicans-democrats-manufacturing-culture-elites-4256ab4c?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1
  224. NY Electricity Generation, “Non-Reassuring” Future, WUWT April 22, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/04/23/another-non-reassuring-report-on-new-yorks-energy-future/
  225. Dick Storm Blog, “Pillars of Modern Civilization, Energy & Food & Quality of Life”: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2022/07/25/pillars-of-modern-civilization-all-dependent-on-energy/
  226. Dick Storm Blog “Educating & Energizing the Public on the Impossibility of Powering America with Wind and Solar” March 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/03/20/educating-and-energizing-the-public-on-energy-policy-and-the-impossibility-of-powering-america-with-wind-and-solar/
  227. Canadian Pipeline Sabotage by Anarchists, Feb. 2023: https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/news/trend-of-escalating-violence-coastal-gaslink-decries-pipeline-sabotage-claims-on-anarchist-site/
  228. EPRI Post on the CAISO “Duck Curve changed to Canyon Curve” of Electric Load: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7056612841755181056-SCPK?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  229. CAISO Website: https://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/default.aspx
  230. Our World in Data Carbon Intensity of countries of the world: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/carbon-intensity-electricity
  231. CFACT, “Why Net Zero Is Neither Possible Nor Desirable, the Canadian Example”: https://www.cfact.org/2021/07/12/why-net-zero-is-neither-possible-nor-desirable-the-canadian-example-part-one/ 
  232. Hackaday “New Renewables are Overwhelming the U.S. Grid” April 2023: https://hackaday.com/2023/04/17/new-renewable-energy-projects-are-overwhelming-us-grids/
  233. Dick Storm, LinkedIn Post of “America Has No Energy Policy”, ENERUM Presentation, August 2022:  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_storm-presentation-to-columbus-energy-forum-ugcPost-7056884646923440128-ZQLR?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  234. Harvard Wind Study shows Greater Environmental Impact & Land Requirements than Originally Thought for Renewables: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/10/large-scale-wind-power-has-its-down-side/
  235. Solar and Wind Turbine Materials Requirements, from LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arihashahi_energy-renewableenergy-renewableenergy-activity-7053119817586778112-4XZy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  236. Dick Storm Blog, Santee-Cooper IRP Comments: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/04/27/how-can-a-6000-mw-regional-utility-in-2030-which-likely-will-be-a-9000-mw-utility-in-2050-achieve-net-zero-carbon/
  237. EIA April Energy Outlook Charts and Data, April, 2023: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
  238. WUWT Military Urged to go Total Electric by Biden-Granholm, April 29, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/04/29/joe-biden-wants-every-us-military-vehicle-to-be-climate-friendly/
  239. The Right Stuff Climate Stuff, Tom Moser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-gHWcrCK7w
  240. Why Batteries Cannot Backup solar and Wind generation: https://stopthesethings.com/2023/04/29/grand-delusion-why-battery-storage-cant-fix-wind-solars-intermittency-problem/
  241. Blackrock and U.N. start of “ESG” Investing Policies: https://unherd.com/2023/03/blackrocks-tyrannical-esg-agenda/
  242. EIA 2011 Report on Energy, Good reference 1900-2011: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/pdf/aer.pdf
  243. NREL Report on Electrification to 2050: https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18osti/72096.pdf
  244. UN Climate News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129892?_gl=1*1nhukiq*_ga*MTM1NjA2Njg4OS4xNjgyODY3NDQ5*_ga_TK9BQL5X7Z*MTY4Mjg2NzQ0OS4xLjEuMTY4Mjg2NzYzOS4wLjAuMA.. 
  245. UN-Climate page: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement#:~:text=The%20Paris%20Agreement%20is%20a,France%2C%20on%2012%20December%202015
  246. Our World in Data Charts of CO2: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions
  247. IEA Executive Summary 2022 World Energy Outlook: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2022/executive-summary
  248. EPA Air Quality, National Summary: https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary
  249. Yale Report on Deaths from “Blackouts” : https://environment-review.yale.edu/true-cost-power-outages-0
  250. Sutton Plant Implosion video, 2016: https://youtu.be/miSapiaJTpM
  251. Boardman Plant Implosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0azahkPUVA
  252. 60 Minutes program on Vulnerability of Electric Grid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65siHaUPsRM
  253. EIA October 2022 Energy Outlook: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/05%20October%2027%20-%20EIA%20Annual%20Energy%20Outlook%202022.pdf
  254. EEI EV’s in market 2030: https://www.eei.org/News/news/All/eei-projects-26-million-electric-vehicles-will-be-on-us-roads-in-2030
  255. EIA NZE 2050 Report: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/IEA%2C%20Net%20Zero%20by%202050_1.pdf
  256. WUWT Energy Crisis creates a Food production crisis due to fertilizer shortages: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/11/entire-global-food-supply-at-risk-from-disastrous-response-to-so-called-nitrogen-crisis/
  257. ELECTREK article on Chinese EV’s to dominate market: https://electrek.co/2023/05/11/chinas-ev-surge-threatens-legacy-automakers-market-dominance/
  258. Dr. Judith Curry Review of CLINTEL report analyzing IPCC-AR6: https://judithcurry.com/2023/05/13/clintels-critical-evaluation-of-the-ipcc-ar6/ 
  259. CLINTEL website: https://clintel.org
  260. Capital Research Center, Green Watch: https://capitalresearch.org/category/green-watch/
  261. WUWT Disclosure of Billionaire Climate Extremists influencing state and Federal Climate policy, good links within the document, May 22, 2024: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/22/more-billionaire-climate-machinations/
  262. Biggest engine in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiwMJe9_vcQ
  263. LLNL Energy Flow Chart: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/sites/flowcharts/files/2022-04/Energy_2021_United-States_0.png
  264. Dick Storm Blog, May 16, 2023, U.S. Needs 100 Quads/year: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/05/16/back-to-basics-the-u-s-needs-100-quadrillion-btus-year-of-primary-energy/
  265. Heritage.org interview, Keeping the Lights on,  event page is here https://www.heritage.org/energy-economics/event/keeping-the-lights-america-looking-ahead-power-grid-reliability and I believe the recorded video will be posted soon
  266. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant History, started in 1958: https://jackdevanney.substack.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-yankee-rowe?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  267. Energy Markets Time to complete new connections to Grid, Berkely Lab: https://emp.lbl.gov/queues
  268. Washington Post article on Grid connections: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/18/permitting-reform-clean-energy-debt-ceiling/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-05-18%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:50602%5D
  269. Copied link of post of NERC Summer Reserves Warning May 18, 2023: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_two-thirds-of-north-america-is-at-risk-of-activity-7064912009884041216-DNHX?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  270. Ron Clutz Blog, including You Tube of Jimmy Dore explanation of Google Biasing Propaganda on “Climate Change”: https://rclutz.com/2023/05/22/google-screens-your-climate-info/#like-31222
  271. WUWT on Smearing Journalists that do not agree with “Woke & UN-IPCC Manmade Global Warming narrative: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/23/regime-climate-censorship-enforcer-newsguard-the-tragic-case-of-zack-fishman/
  272. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, 60 years later, Fails Test of Time, WUWT: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/05/17/carsons-silent-spring-fails-test-of-time-new-york-times-verdict-in-2007/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carsons-silent-spring-fails-test-of-time-new-york-times-verdict-in-2007
  273. WUWT-Global Surface Temperature comparison of MSM and science based trend by data: https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/
  274. Forbes article on Environmental Groups Harming the Poor, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tilakdoshi/2023/05/23/environmental-ngos-in-the-global-south-saviors-of-humanity-or-predatory-special-interests/?sh=78c19c9e59aa
  275. NextEra Energy web site: https://www.nexteraenergy.com
  276. Congressional Research Service State of Electric Utilities, 1973-1984: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/99th-congress-1985-1986/reports/doc10b-entire_1.pdf
  277. Earth Overshoot.org on world population: https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/
  278. https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/
  279. Paul Harvey, 1964, “If I Was the Devil” You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NoQHgjM_0
  280. Mining of Rare Earth Minerals has a Dirty Little Secret, by FEE, May 2023: https://fee.org/articles/green-energy-has-a-dirty-secret/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_FEEDaily
  281. EPA opposes Petrochemical Industries in Louisiana using Taxpayer funds, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2023/05/25/how-epa-funds-the-petrochemical-industrys-opposition/?sh=7c39025a7176
  282.  Rigzone-“Will We Hit Net Zero Carbon by 2050” May 30, 2023: https://www.rigzone.com/news/will_the_world_hit_net_zero_by_2050-30-may-2023-172906-article/?utm_campaign=DAILY_2023_05_30&utm_source=GLOBAL_ENG&utm_medium=EM_NW_F1
  283. Germany Loses Trust in Automotive Manufacturing of the Future, June 1, 2023: https://www.euractiv.com/section/transport/news/germany-loses-trust-in-its-future-as-the-worlds-automotive- leader/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9717&pnespid=vONsDj0fa6YB3fWaozvrE4vTu0KuBJd4J.jlxrB69EVmIi05WkT6eEKuNWblScX1gKHYP2iqCw 
  284. The Decline of the American Empire, By “The Burning Platform” June 2023 : https://www.theburningplatform.com/2023/05/31/fall-of-american-empire-and-descent-into-a-new-dark-ages/
  285. Master Resource, Free Markets Energy Blog: https://www.masterresource.org/reading-list/
  286. Ed Ireland on China and EV’s June, 5, 2023: https://edireland.substack.com/p/electric-vehicle-boom-may-force-china?r=kv1a9&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
  287. Top Ten Energy Companies by Energy Digital : https://energydigital.com/articles/top-10-energy-companies-by-market-cap
  288. The Federal War on your Life-Style, WUWT, June 8, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/06/07/the-federal-war-against-your-lifestyle/
  289. Robert Bryce, No Uranium for Nuclear, June 9, 2023: https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/no-u
  290. Ken Braun on Leftist Organizations Funding anti Fossil Fuels: https://capitalresearch.org/article/nuclear-power-hating-hypocrites-part-1/
  291. World Economic Forum Doesn’t Even Hide their Intent to Create Decline of the Western World: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGsnBbvwcrFHbjLsNkzqTMKjvCP
  292. WEF Urban Mobility Paper, May 2023: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Urban_Mobility_Scorecard_Tool_2023.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email 
  293. David Blackmon Energy Absurdities: https://blackmon.substack.com/?utm_source=cross-post&utm_campaign=434821&utm_medium=email
  294. David Blackmon, Democrats Patiently Wait for Power Positions: https://blackmon.substack.com/p/the-energy-absurdity-of-the-week-031
  295. E&E News Democrats into Power Positions, May 2023: https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-green-new-dealers-became-washington-power-players/
  296. John Kerry Speech on “The Great Reset” New American, Nov. 2020: https://thenewamerican.com/john-kerry-talks-great-reset-at-world-economic-forum/
  297. The Great Reset movement toward World Totalitarianism, Hillsdale College Lecture by Michael Rectenwald: https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/what-is-the-great-reset/
  298. John Kerry Targets Agriculture at WEF Speech, May 2023, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerry-targets-agriculture-part-climate-crusade
  299. WEF Limiting Private Cars:  https://www.internationalfreepress.com/2023/06/wef-document-calls-for-limiting-private.html
  300. WEF on Degrowth, June 2022: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/what-is-degrowth-economics-climate-change/
  301. WEF Calls to reduce vehicles by eliminating ownership, Aug. 2022: https://www.climatedepot.com/2022/08/01/world-economic-forum-calls-to-reduce-private-vehicles-by-eliminating-ownership/
  302. Sierra Club and Abortion Alignment, On the Issues, : https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Sierra_Club_Abortion.htm
  303. U.N., Planned Parenthood and Sierra Club Alignment Sept. 2015: https://unfoundation.org/media/un-foundation-planned-parenthood-federation-of-america-sierra-club-announce-winners-of-first-ever-why-we-care-youth-emerging-leaders-for-reproductive-rights-contest/
  304. Sierra Club & NRDC Environmental Groups Urge Support for Affordable Care Act and Reproductive Rights, March 2017: https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/03/environmental-groups-urge-support-affordable-care-act-and-planned-parenthood
  305. Sierra Club & Planned Parenthood Join Conferences to Explain Sex and the Environment. Nov. 2007, Catholic News Agency, : https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/11091/sierra-club-joins-planned-parenthood-to-offer-conferences-on-sex-and-the-environment
  306. Professor Michael Kelly, UK, June 2017: https://www.soci.org/news/general-news/professor-michael-kelly-lecture
  307. FERC Energy Regulator States, “Power Grid is Facing Dire Consequences Due to Coal & Gas Retirements”, “WUWT June 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/06/13/federal-energy-regulatory-commissioner-mark-christie-power-grid-is-facing-dire-consequences-due-to-coal-gas-retirements/
  308. Donations to DeSantis Election Campaign by Duke and NextEra Utilities, June 2023: https://jacobin.com/2023/03/ron-desantis-florida-utility-companies-power-shutoffs-republican-party
  309. Electrical Disconnection by Utilities, June 2023 : https://bailout.cdn.prismic.io/bailout/49a01c18-5c8d-4821-ae22-5ee09a089cba_Powerless+in+the+US_Report.pdf?ref=the-lever
  310. Dark Money from Utilities to Elected Officials or Candidates, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/15/us-power-companies-political-lobbying-donations-nonprofit
  311. Electric Power Company Donations; https://www.energyandpolicy.org/campaign-finance-reports-reveal-utility-industry-contributions/
  312. Daily Signal list of companies that donate to Planned Parenthood, Aug. 2015: https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/08/19/more-companies-that-have-donated-to-planned-parenthood/ and
  313. https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/07/21/meet-the-41-companies-that-donate-directly-to-planned-parenthood/
  314. More companies that donate to PP: https://www.partnersforethicalcare.com/planned-parenthood-donors
  315. JTF donations of 25 million to Democrats: https://jtf.org/follow-the-money-planned-parenthood-donated-25m-to-democrats-since-2000/
  316. INTEL and others that promote Zero Population Growth and Planned Parenthood: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/meet-the-biggest-planned-parenthood-supporter-in-corporate-america.html
  317. Open Secrets Donations to Planned Parenthood, 2022: https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=Planned+Parenthood&tab=donors
  318. AMAC Article on Planned Parenthood Funding, 2017, over 962,000 abortions and $1.3 Billion in “Donations”: https://amac.us/may-not-support-planned-parenthoodbut-favorite-companies/
  319. 2nd Vote website of companies that contribute $1.3 Billion to Planned Parenthood, 2017: https://www.2ndvote.com/planned-parenthood/
  320. John Kerry on BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57135506
  321. John Kerry coordination with Green Groups, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-probe-john-kerrys-ties-eco-groups-efforts-shield-oversight
  322. Robert Bryce Substack on the “Iron Law of Electricity” Increases in coal use around the world, June 17, 2023: https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/the-iron-law-of-electricity-strikes
  323. California Globe, California’s Electricity Policy Failure, June 18, 2023: https://californiaglobe-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/californiaglobe.com/articles/the-failure-of-california-electricity-policy-in-one-image/amp/
  324. World Bank report, June, 2023, De-Tx Development, Mis-Use of Fertilizers & DeGrowth:  https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/61d04aca-1b95-4c06-8199-3c4a423cb7fe/content?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  325. NJ ROI (Return On Info) : https://www.roi-nj.com/2023/05/17/roi-influencers/energy-utilities-roi-influencers/roi-nj-presents-the-roi-influencers-energy-and-utilities/?utm_source=ROI-NJ+MAIN+Newsletter+List+%282%2F4%2F19%29&utm_campaign=ee9cbf68df-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_06_20_02_53&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-ee9cbf68df-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
  326. Capital Research Video on Green Ties to China: https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/
  327. China Influence of U.S.  Green Groups and U.S. Environmental Policy, Capital Research Center video:  https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/    
  328. Capital Research Center on Teen Vogue Influence of young female voters on Democrat policies: https://capitalresearch.org/article/teen-vogue-training-young-female-leftists/
  329. Good Energy News Reference: https://oilprice.com
  330. German Industry Shutting Down and Moving, due to high energy process, CNBC June 21, 2023 : https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/06/21/high-german-energy-prices-are-seeing-some-companies-relocate-bdi.html
  331. EIA Notice of Change in Calculating/Reporting Solar Primary Energy to use 3412 Btus/kWh, June 23, 2023: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/change/
  332. WUWT Global Surface Temperature Chart 1880-2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/
  333. “Why Climate Change is Not an Emergency”, CO2 Coalition Presentations, May 27, 2023: https://co2coalition.org/media/why-climate-change-is-not-an-emergency/  
  334. Time Magazine, “The Modern World Can’t Exist Without These Four Ingredients. They All Require Fossil Fuels”, Vaclav Smil May 2022: https://time.com/6175734/reliance-on-fossil-fuels/
  335. ERCOT Dashboard: https://www.ercot.com
  336. EU Report and long list of references on the “DeIndustrialization of Europe” by forcing wind power on the citizens: 
    https://us1-campaign–archive-com.translate.goog/?u=a15449610a1df64c85f7499e1&id=5b33ebcfdc&e=59342c48f8&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=auto
  337. Causes of Blackouts in Europe, excellent paper, Jan. 2022: https://www-science–climat–energie-be.translate.goog/2022/01/07/les-blackouts-leurs-causes-et-consequences-economiques/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=auto
  338. Energy Institute Resources for Data and Statistics, June 2023: https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review/resources-and-data-downloads
  339. NERC Summer Reliability Report, May 2023: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_SRA_2023.pdf
  340. Balancing Energy Security, Affordability, the Economy, Decarbonization and Security, Energy Policy Research Foundation: https://assets.realclear.com/files/2023/06/2210_eprinc_balancing_energy_security_affordability_and_decarbonization.pdf
  341. The Rise and Fall of the American Grid, American Affairs Journal, Fall, 2022: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2022/08/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-american-electrical-grid/
  342. WSJ article on $400 Billion Loans for Green Energy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/green-energy-climate-loans-49fda73b?mod=hp_lead_pos7
  343. WSJ Small towns benefit in green IRA spending: https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-legislation-inflation-reduction-act-small-towns-eb0ce798?mod=article_inline
  344. WUWT on the “Myth of Replacing Fossil Fuels”: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/03/the-myth-of-replacing-fossil-fuels/
  345. Brattle Group Podcast: https://energymarketspodcast.buzzsprout.com/1568110/13142849
  346. Nuclear Power in the 1960’s. Great info: https://whatisnuclear.com/news/2023-07-03-film-about-pm1-microreactor-in-wyoming.html
  347. National Center for Education Statistics, Degrees in 2021: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=37 and https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cta
  348. America’s Power, Editorial on the Importance of Coal, July 10, 2023: https://americaspower.org/the-need-for-sensible-epa-rules/
  349. America’s Power Key Takeaways of Winter Storm Elliott Report on the importance of coal: https://americaspower.org/new-report-evaluates-the-performance-of-electricity-resources-during-storm-elliott/
  350. Net Zero Reality Coalition: https://www.cfact.org/netzerorealitycoalition/
  351. WUWT On National Academy of Engineering Summer Report on decarbonization, July 11, 2023: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/11/national-academies-climate-junk-summit-7-11-7-12-is-open-to-all/
  352. EPA Regulations will Destroy the American Power Grid, Ed Ireland Substack: https://edireland.substack.com/p/epa-proposes-anti-fossil-fuel-regulations?r=kv1a9&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
  353. Energy & Economic Prosperity of Various Countries of the world, There are no Rich Countries that do not Manufacture Products: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_electricity-income-activity-7084913097718562816-foX7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  354. Nuclear in the 1960’s. Our predecessors got lots of things done: 
    https://whatisnuclear.com/news/2023-07-03-film-about-pm1-microreactor-in-wyoming.html
  355. Robert Bryce Substack on “Carbon Myopia” and the need of 3 Billion people on the planet that need to be lifted from poverty: https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/carbon-myopia/comments
  356. I, Pencil, by Foundation for Economic Education, 1958: https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/
  357. Rivotto Clean Energy Now: https://rivotto.webflow.io 
  358. Clintel Report, “There is No Climate Emergency” : https://clintel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WCD-version-06272215121.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  359. Daily Skeptic on John Clauser Slamming the Corrupt Science used to create a “Climate Emergency” : https://dailysceptic.org/2023/07/14/nobel-physics-laureate-2022-slams-climate-emergency-narrative-as-dangerous-corruption-of-science/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

How Can a 6,000 MW Regional Utility in 2030 which Likely Will Be a 9,000 MW Utility in 2050… Achieve Net Zero Carbon? An Update on my Electricity Provider in South Carolina

The Great State of South Carolina is usually thought of as a “Conservative” state. However, when it comes to applying destructive “Climate Policies”, South Carolina is no more conservative than is California or New York. So, I thought I would repost my comments on the Santee-Cooper IRP.

It is my understanding that the major Utilities providing electricity to S.C. (Dominion Energy and Santee-Cooper) are planning to build a major natural gas fueled power plant at the site of the old Canadys Coal Plant, near Walterboro. I posted my thoughts on this on LinkedIn, here. Also, Thomas Shepstone created a Blog post on substack based on my LI post, entitled, “”A Balanced Energy Portfolio is Critical but South Carolina Doesn’t Seem Get It” . It is here. Thank you Tom!

Since this article was first published, announcements of new Data Centers and increasing EV charging has caused alarm that more generating capacity will be required than what was thought a year or two ago. Imagine that, when policies to “Electrify Everything” are applied, electricity Demand grows…..(23, 25 )

This is an update on my comments to the IRP development for my local Regional Utility, Santee-Cooper. The last draft IRP has been published for comment and the figure below shows the expected load growth up to 2042. This Figure is from page 28 of the IRP presentation updated in April 2023. Shockingly, there is serious planning to shut down all coal plants by 2034 without having a Balanced Portfolio of replacement Bulk Power Supply that is Dispatchable, affordable and of reliable supply. Some energy news/issues authors, when discussing energy policy, speak metaphorically of “Falling off the Cliff” The illustration of projected load growth for Santee-Cooper is an example of planning to “Fall off the Cliff” by (NOT) Balancing Bulk Power Supply & load Demand. (The graph reminds me of the old saying, “Failing to Plan is a Plan for Failure”. How? By not providing adequate new generation capacity as older, reliable, dependable and Dispatchable coal units are retired. This is typical all across the U.S. and the western free world(6,10,14,15,15,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27)

I had hoped that the more conservative, level headed General Assembly of S.C. would have better sense than to follow the “Woke policy” of the U.S. government and other states. There is still time to wake up to reality. (5,8)

Here is my followup comments to the Santee-Cooper IRP (Integrated Resource Plan) for future electricity generation through 2042. It is my hope that the S.C. General Assembly will provide direction to Santee-Cooper to properly maintain and keep all of their existing coal plants operational until such time that sufficient nuclear and natural gas Base Load and Dispatchable generation capacity is installed and proven to be operational. This is my hope. Many references are provided on my blog for anyone interested.

The slide below is from my ENERUM presentation, August 2022. Data and chart are from the July 2022 NERC Report.(10) This shows 102 GW of Dispatchable & Reliable coal and nuclear plants shut down since 2011. This is shown to illustrate the fact that Santee-Cooper seems to be following the same destructive path as other utilities in the U.S.

Can a Great 80+ Year Record of Reliability and Affordability be Sustained While Retiring Coal Plants? Is S.C. Self Sabotaging our Great Record of Reasonable Cost, Reliable Bulk Power Supply? Why? Can the Legislature Stop the Madness?

It is my understanding, that the management of Santee-Cooper has been directed to formulate a plan to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050. Anyone that knows me, knows that I do not agree with this plan and my posts on this blog and my public presentations have clearly shown my analysis of the madness of Net Zero Carbon & the War on Coal. I have written letters to Santee-Cooper, the Governor, Congressional representatives and my S.C. Senator. Most of these have been made public. Myself and others that have knowledge of energy and electricity generation know that the path to Net Zero carbon is not possible by 2050.(4,5,6,7,8) Not without severe disruption of our way of life, our economy, industrial output, controlling inflation and national security. It is important for our state to generate electricity reliably, with high quality frequency and voltage control, from Dispatchable generators to meet customer Demand and do this 24/7 affordably under all weather conditions…..This has been done by Santee-Cooper for almost 90 years. Thanks to the reliability of coal, nuclear, natural gas generation and hydro-electric. Why would the Legislature force this fine Utility to sabotage its great record? The chart below is from the 2020 IRP. This lists the Dispatchable, Reliable, Affordable generating assets that have created and continue to provide a great record. In essence, the apparent path of the IRP update is to replace 61% of the reliable coal generation with “Intermittent” solar and wind generation.

Path to Jeopardizing S.C. Bulk Power Affordability, Reliability and Dispatchability

The S.C. Legislature has directed Santee-Cooper through “Act 90” to meet a net zero carbon goal by 2050.

The slide above is copied from the Santee-Cooper IRP presentation. My understanding is, that this is the direction ordered by the legislature. A plan to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050. (22)

There is active planning to not only shut down the 1,150 MW Winyah coal plant in 2028 but also to shut down the 2,350 MW Cross Coal plant about five years later so that in 2034 all coal plants will be shut down. This is shown on the slides below. Shutting down all coal plants by 2034, in my opinion, will jeopardize the very favorable record of reasonable cost, reliable and Dispatchable electricity Bulk Power Supply that has become associated with Santee-Cooper’s great reputation. Even more importantly, South Carolina’s excellent record of attracting and keeping a thriving industrial base within this region. Electricity intensive industries such as aluminum and steel manufacturers/Recyclers have thrived here as manufacturers in other states have ended operations and ceded U.S. manufactured steel and aluminum capacity to China.

Let me digress and quote Vaclav Smil’s statement on decarbonization. From Professor Smil’s book, “How the World Really Works” This applies to S.C. Too!

“The real wrench in the works: we are a fossil-fueled civilization whose technical and scientific advances, quality of life, and prosperity rest on the combustion of huge quantities of fossil carbon, and we cannot simply walk away from this critical determinant of our fortunes in a few decades, never mind years. Complete decarbonization of the global economy by 2050 is now conceivable only at the cost of unthinkable global economic retreat, or as a result of extraordinarily rapid transformations relying on near-miraculous technical advances.” Smil continues….

But who is going, willingly, to engineer decarbonization while we are still lacking any convincing, practical, affordable global strategy and technical means to pursue the latter? What will actually happen? The gap between wishful thinking and reality is vast, but in a democratic society no contest of ideas and proposals can proceed in rational ways without all sides sharing at least a modicum of relevant information about the real world, rather than trotting out their biases and advancing claims disconnected from physical possibilities.”

I have written other posts on this Blog to express my thoughts on competition with China and the importance for America to reshore U.S. manufacturing. This my friends, is in our backyard, our neighborhood, our state. This is a fact as stated above10). Premature retirements of reliable coal plants has been occurring at an alarming rate all across the U.S. Do we have to follow the same foolish self sabotaging policies of NY, Hawaii, Germany, the UK and Texas? I hope not. (12,13,14,15,)

Future Bulk Power Generation Capacity, The Apparent Plan to Self Sabotage Reliable Bulk Power Supply

Expected Outcome of Adding Over 4,250 MW of Non Dispatchable, Intermittent Bulk Power Supply

If all of the coal plants are retired and the portfolio shown above is used. Her are my predictions, based on the experiences of Hawaii, California, Texas, Germany, Denmark and the UK.

California is thought by some in government to be a model for the U.S. with regard to renewable energy policy. I do not agree. Here is a recent post by the CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute on how the California electric load (as reported by CAISO) has morphed from a “Duck Curve to a Canyon Curve”. Here is a screenshot of Dr. Mansoor’s post:

The “Canyon” curve represents high renewable generation during the peak sunshine of the day where California has bragging rights to sourcing almost all of their electricity from solar collectors. This is great until folks come home from work, mom starts dinner in her totally electric home and Dad plugs in his EV for charging. By early evening, electricity demand skyrockets out of the Canyon and must, for the sake of reliability, be generated to meet demand from Dispatchable sources.

Battery storage is not Bulk Power Supply. Batteries store electricity they do not generate electricity. Batteries are capable, depending on the size of the installation, of providing minutes or hours of backup. The largest battery storage in the U.S. is the Vistra Energy, Moss Landing facility in CA. The CAISO load for April 27 is expected to be about 30,000 MW. Note the largest battery storage facility in the world, Moss Landing, is 1600 MW which is about 5% of the Demand and only capable of providing minutes or hours of stored electricity.

Here is another post from another energy expert on LinkedIn. This graphic shows the electric generation through the day which includes battery storage.

The Moss Landing Storage facility is rated at 400/1600 MW and is capable of storing excess renewable generation for hours so that it can be used as the sun sets and kick in as the “Canyon Curve” and CA power supply and Demand Curves above become reality of demand. Emphasis should be on “Hours” it is not capable of backup during a days long cold severe winter storm, such as NC and SC experienced over Christmas week, 2022. Another example is the 150 MW Battery storage designed for Queensland, Australia and an artists depiction below. This is from an essay reviewing the NY electricity future written on the Blog, Watts Up With That.

Battery storage such as shown above is very costly. For example, the 150 MW facility above is projected to cost $250/kWh. Therefore for 12 hours of storage for 450 MW, the cost would be about $1.35 Billion dollars. Keep in mind, this is for 12 hours storage of only 450 MW of power. Winter storms such as the Christmas 2022 storm lasted longer than 12 hours and even very conservative, steeped in energy expertise Duke Energy, also with a great reputation for reliable electric service, had rolling Blackouts. Ditto for TVA(18,19,20,21,22,23).

When the sun is not shining and the wind not blowing, then the generation must be purchased from neighboring Utilities or generated with Dispatchable natural gas generation. The plan shown above includes 4,316 MW of natural gas generation. This combined with the 322 MW of Summer Unit #1 nuclear power totals 4,638 MW. The wind generators, though intermittent, could generate another 400 MW to total 5,038 MW. The projections of up to 9,000 MW Demand in 2050 (according to Santee-Cooper projections) then will require additional Dispatchable generation which is likely to be natural gas CT’s or Combined Cycle facilities. Think for example of the uncertain growth of Electric Vehicles. If much of transportation is “Electrified”, then the high range projections of about 9,000 MW peaks can be expected in 2050 or before. So, why would we kill the coal plants that have served South Carolinians so well?

This reminds me of my experiences working for CP&L in the 1970’s when the manager of Fossil Plant Engineering pointed to an oil fueled CT and proclaimed to me, then a young engineer, “That young man is a monument to poor planning”. Yes, as CP&L (That was before CP&L merged with Florida Progress and was later absorbed by Duke Energy). I see history repeating here as so much faith in renewables today is somewhat like the high expectations of nuclear being “Too Cheap to Meter” beliefs of the 1970’s. However, nuclear power eventually delivered. Wind and solar are not capable of replacing coal, nuclear and gas fueled Bulk Power Generation. In the 1970’s the Bulk Power Supply gaps were made up with quickly installed, oil fueled CT’s. Today, thanks to reliable, affordable natural gas, the backup generation, when solar and wind cannot deliver, is gas fueled CT’s or Combined Cycle plants. This is doable and satisfactory… providing that pipelines are of adequate capacity and natural gas remains affordable and Federal Regulations on drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing, pipelines and fuel supply infra-structure is expanded as needed, when it is needed. The Federal Government is wrong on their war on carbon and the natural gas resources just may not be as abundant in 2040 or 2050 as they are now. Because, the Federal Government currently highly regulates exploration, drilling, production and transport of any fossil fuels. The uncertainty of future primary energy supply is why a Balanced Generation Portfolio is important. A Balanced Energy Portfolio will include nuclear, coal, gas and renewables.

Have the Importance of Reserves Been Forgotten?

Santee-Cooper is a Regional Utility. In other states, such as PA, OH, WVA, NJ & DE many utilities the size of Santee-Cooper have joined RTO’s (Regional Transmission Operators) such as the PJM Interconnection. In the Midwest it is MISO (Midwestern Independent System Operator) With RTO’s, the electricity generation is shared across state lines and with different utilities with separation of the ownership of the generating plants and the transmission and distribution of the Bulk Power. This has eliminated accountability for individual utilities such as Philadelphia Electric, Potomac Electric Power Company, Public Service of NJ, PP&L and others to plan for Reserve Generation capacity. Therefore, there is no accountability for lack of reserves. I presented examples in my ENERUM talk slides(6) . There is some talk of Santee-Cooper joining a similar RTO with the Southeast Electric Exchange. In my strong opinion and based on the references listed below and my experiences, Santee-Cooper should plan for their own (Our own) reserves. Reserve generation from others states was depended on Christmas week 2022 by TVA and Duke Energy. Two fine utilities, also with great records from the past. But, the reserves from neighboring states were not available due to Demand exceeding supply. Reserves of 15-20% have always been important for reliability and to keep generation costs reasonable by not requiring the startup of backup power generation using high cost fuels such as Diesel or spot market gas. Donn Dears has written several books on this. Here is a graph from the book, “Clean Energy Crisis”, on the Reserve generation that was planned in 2018. However, Texas Blackouts in 2021 killed over 200 people. The ERCOT planners in 2018 had performed due diligence as Santee-Cooper is doing now with well respected consulting services to perform computer analyses of planned reserve margins. Do we need to learn the hard way as Texans did in 2021?

Facts to be Consider regarding Electricity and South Carolina’s High Quality of Life

The experiences of other states and other countries should be considered. I cited the examples of California, Texas and Hawaii above. Much analysis has been put into the planning by some very smart engineers and planners. However, computer modeling of the “Future” weather, fuel prices, EV use, population growth, industrial growth and other uncertainties, will likely create a need for other sources than wind and solar renewables. Just as Texas learned in 2021 after performing similar planning.

Primary Energy and Secondary Energy

Each S.C. resident on average uses about 300 million Btus per year in Primary Energy. If the trend to “Electrify Everything” continues, then more of the energy use currently provided at reasonble prices for transportation and our high quality of life, will be substituted for by (Secondary Energy) electricity or hydrogen. Such as more EV’s as the government is forcing us to use. Therefore, the growth of electricity demand may be much greater than expected. Thus, my title which relates to potential 9,000 MW Demand in 2050.

Over 50% of South Carolina’s electricity has been provided by nuclear power for decades. SC is rated as #3 in the nation in nuclear power generation. Nuclear power has served SC citizens and industry well. Safe, affordable, Base load capable at 90+% capacity factor and proven. However, the great record and importance of nuclear is not discussed by politicians or even utilities. For example, Palmetto Electric promotes the use of “Green Power” when in fact, it is a small contributor to the total portfolio of power generation. Here is an example of “Green indoctrination” by a bill insert that misleadingly leads citizens to believe that most of their power is from renewables:

The reality of our future electricity generation is that nuclear is the most important and least carbon intensive fuel for electricity generation. The plan to expand the Summer nuclear plant with two additional units was a very good idea. However, it was not to be because of poor management, limited trained talent and failure by Bankruptcy of Westinghouse, the primary contractor. The planned new Pee Dee coal plant near Florence was also a good idea and provided for natural growth of generating capacity to meet Demand. Pee Dee, (600 MW coal plant) in my understanding, was killed because of outside influence of Environmental Extremists. Had the Summer Units 2 & 3 and the 600 MW Pee Dee Clean Coal Plant been built as planned, then together these three units would have provided 2,800 MW of Base Load plus reliable, affordable and clean, Dispatchable Bulk Power. Including some reserve generation capacity.

Is the Great State of South Carolina going to sabotage our future just because other countries and states are doing so? I hope not.

Conclusions

  1. The “War on Carbon” is based on politics and corrupted science. It is about Socialism and not about protecting the environment. The South Carolina Legislature seems to be just as gullible of the green myth as the current Federal government leaders.
  2. The UN-IPCC is also Politically Driven and Not based on protection of the environment or to provide for the best interests of the people of the world. The Paris Climate Agreement is not in the best interests of America, the free western world or even for protection of the environment. It is politically motivated.
  3. The path to Net Zero Carbon is steadily weakening our country. It will eventually destroy America’s productive capacity, lower our standard of living and place national security at risk. It will hasten the decline of America and the Rise of China.
  4. America requires 100 Quadrillion BTUs of energy each year to sustain our quality of life. This is about 300 million BTUs per person, per year. Currently, after decades of subsidies, wind and solar provide about 5% of the total PRIMARY energy we use. Wind and solar cannot replace the other 95% of energy we need.
  5. A Balanced Portfolio of Generating Capacity as is currently installed at Santee-Cooper generating plants, is the best path forward to sustain our high quality of life and economic prosperity. Reserve generation from dynamic generators is needed. Battery backup does not provide the same system voltage and frequency control as spinning reserve generator rotors do.
  6. Electric generation planning in the 1970’s and 1980’s was better than today. There is no Energy Policy in America, there is only a decarbonization plan(4,5,6,7), there is no well thought out plan to replace the reliable and dispatchable generating capacity that is being shut down across the country. As during the 1970’s when nuclear units were late coming into service, the quickest available generating capacity was to install gas turbines. This is likely here in SC if the coal plants are retired before Dispatchable or Base Load replacement generation is installed.

Recommendations

  1. Initiate a comprehensive Energy and Electricity Education program to provide 1. public education on energy, 2. Public School education on energy and electricity generation and 3. Public Technical/Trade School education to prepare youth for the construction workforce. Energy Education is recommendation #1 of the path forward. Public education is needed to reverse the myth that wind and solar can replace coal, gas and nuclear power generation. This is priority #1 because so many people are “Green Energy” indoctrinated.
  2. Plan and continue to provide adequate Operations and maintenance funds for repairs and component replacements of the boilers, pumps, turbines and all of the equipment installed at the Cross Coal Plant. Keep the full 2,350 MW capacity so that it can be used until replacement generation is built and proven.
  3. Construct the two unit 1,200 MW Pee Dee Coal plant that the components were purchased for in 2009, but never constructed.
  4. Plan and begin construction on at least 2,000 MW of nuclear capacity. (as was planned for the Summer Units 2 & 3). Please re-read recommendation #1 above.
  5. Plan and construct at least 1,750 MW of combined cycle gas plants
  6. The coal, nuclear and gas plants 2,3 & 4 could replace the existing Cross coal plant capacity, thus continuing a “Balanced Generation Portfolio”

Summary

South Carolina can be an example of applied Common Sense Energy policies that can be a model for the U.S.A. and for the world. The current reasonable cost electricity in SC is amongst the lowest cost in the nation. Over 50% is generated from 4 nuclear plants with seven units. Four of these 7 nuclear units started up in the 1970’s. These four units operating licenses will expire in the 2030’s. They may be extended for another 20 or 30 years by the NRC but, plans should be made to construct new nuclear units for replacement of carbon free, Dispatchable, reasonable cost electricity.

Every time I present a course on energy and electricity generation the comments come back, “You did not discuss Climate Change and Decarbonization”. My response is, I am not an atmospheric scientist. I am an experienced power engineer. My beef with the current path toward Net Zero Carbon is, there is not an organized plan to replace the vitally important electric generation that has kept our country strong. If the politicians were really serious about reducing carbon dioxide emissions and “Sustaining” our high quality of living, then nuclear plants would be on a fast track to construction. After the Summer 2 & 3 failure, SC politicians are rightfully concerned about the financial risks. Plant Vogtle in GA is an example of a major budget overrun. Last cost estimate that I saw shows that Vogtle will cost $34 Billion and the original planned cost was less than half the ultimate cost. Also, it took ten years to just get one of the units running.

In my opinion and research, I feel the war on carbon is a plan initiated by the U.N. (including competitors/enemies of the U.S.A.) and Socialists that have an agenda other than clean power generation. If we wish to “Sustain our high quality of life“, then we need a reasonable cost, abundant and reliable electricity supply. Nuclear is the most accepted approach to achieving that goal. Three examples of applying a Balanced Energy Portfolio with a high percentage of nuclear are S.C. (1970-2030), Sweden and Finland. For research into why I believe the “War on Carbon” is political, not environmentally driven, I have included dozens of references below. My concern for Santee-Cooper and for America is to keep our Bulk Power Supply safe, secure, reliable and affordable. Also, sourced from a U.S. Supply-Chain.

The Supply-Chain of all of the future generation equipment, in an ideal scenario, would be from U.S. sources. Including manufacturing and construction talent. The workforce education is a weakness that I believe had part in the $9 Billion dollar Summer 2 & 3 construction debacle. We should learn from the past 50 years of electric generating history. The successes and the failures.

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Storm

References: (there are two sets of references below, SC Specific are second set)

  1. U.S. Department of Energy Statistics on S.C. Energy, EIA.gov.: https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=SC
  2. Excellent Presentation on the BRICS, countries that are the largest energy consumers of the world, by David Blackmon, April 2023: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_slide-presentation-how-china-and-brics-are-activity-7053813181193875457-IO5X?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  3. Nuclear Energy Institute, U.S. nuclear plant capacities and license expirations: https://www.nei.org/resources/statistics/us-nuclear-plant-license-information
  4. Donn Dears book, “Clean Energy Crisis” & Dick Storm comments on Christmas week, 2022:  https://wp.me/p5DzAo-Fg
  5. Vaclav Smil’s book, “How the World Really Works”
  6. Dick Storm presentation to ENERUM, Columbus, Ohio, August 2022, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-storm-00557810_storm-presentation-to-columbus-energy-forum-activity-7056884647858765824-Xcwg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktopColumbus, Ohio
  7. Donn Dears book, “Net Zero Carbon, The Policy Destroying America”
  8. Financial Post Special by Professor Vaclav Smil, June 2022: https://financialpost.com/opinion/vaclav-smil-why-net-zero-2050-really-wont-work
  9. Donn Dears Blog, The Politics of Energy Policy part 2 and links to purchase his books: https://ddears.com/2022/08/08/the-politics-of-energy-part-2/
  10. NERC (North American Reliability Corp) Long Term Reliability study: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_2021.pdf
  11. Dick Storm post, “The War on Carbon, How it Came to Be” : https://wp.me/p5DzAo-ek
  12. Professor Furfari article Sept. 2022, Hopeless European Green new Deal: https://clintel.org/the-many-hopeless-european-climate-change-laws/
  13. Germany producing 30% electricity from coal, Business Insider Sept 8, 2022. At least Germany did not destroy their coal plants after they fell out of favor. They were able to restart them when needed in the energy emergency: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-germany-generates-third-electricity-coal-natural-gas-2022-9
  14.  POWER Magazine, Sonal Patel, Sept 9, 2022, EPA Rules likely to shut down about 86 GW of coal generation in next few years: https://www.powermag.com/group-epas-coordinated-regulatory-assault-on-coal-power-could-push-retirements-beyond-86-gw-by-2030/?oly_enc_id=3247D5884312C9W
  15. Hawaii Glimpse into future of Green New deal: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2020/06/03/hawaii-a-gimpse-into-the-future-of-the-green-new-deal/
  16. Texas Missing over 6,000 MW and Rockdale Aluminum Smelter 2021: https://wp.me/p5DzAo-7R
  17. Comparison of China and U.S. Energy Use, January 2023: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/18/comparison-of-china-energy-electricity-generation-with-u-s-a/
  18. TVA Rolling Blackouts report in Tennessean, Jan, 2023: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2022/12/23/why-tennessee-valley-authority-ordered-rolling-blackouts-in-nashville/69754538007/
  19. N.C. Utilities Commission Testimony of Bradford Muller of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, Blackouts, Christmas 2022: https://starw1.ncuc.gov/NCUC/ViewFile.aspx?Id=54fbaba6-76d3-4367-abe2-ee3f8fade516 https://nsjonline.com/article/2023/01/muller-the-christmas-catastrophe-near-miss/
  20. N.C. Public Radio Report of Blackouts, Dec. 2022: https://www.wunc.org/2023-01-06/cold-weather-blackouts-challenge-conventional-wisdom-on-reliability
  21.  Great Plains Institute Warning, Aug 2022 of Blackouts due to insufficient Generation capacity:  https://betterenergy.org/blog/qa-blackout-risks-underscore-resilience-reliability-investment-needs-for-us-power-grid/
  22. MISO Blackout Warning from Riverland Energy: https://riverlandenergy.com/miso-maximum-generation-warnings
  23. American Experiment Article, in Minnesota discussing Blackout risks, June 2022: https://www.americanexperiment.org/why-the-risk-of-blackouts-in-minnesota-continues-to-grow/
  24.  Net Zero Watch, UK Experience with Wind Farms, January 7, 2023: https://mailchi.mp/86e68627c77f/payments-for-windfarms-to-switch-off-soar-to-quarter-billion-pounds-193411?e=9e46528ac6
  25. WSJ, March 2023, “The Real Cost of Wind and Solar”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  26. POWER Magazine, Jan. 2023 Commentary, “America’s Power, CEO, Michelle Bloodworth: “Are We Headed for a Reliability Trainwreck”  https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2023/index.php#/p/40
  27. Arshad Mansoor, CEO of EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) LinkedIn post, April 25, 2023 on the CAISO System. EPRI Post on the CAISO “Duck Curve changed to Canyon Curve” of Electric Load: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7056612841755181056-SCPK?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  28. Big Green Radicals, many of which are setting America’s Energy Anti Conventional-Policy : https://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/epa-report.pdf
  29. Capital Research Center, Nov. Dec. 2021 Issue: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Capital-Research-2021-8.pdf
  30. The Left’s War on Coal. “Global Warming is Good for Business”: https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-lefts-war-on-coal-part-3/
  31. Activist Facts,  Environmental Report (Follow the Money): https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/19-natural-resources-defense-council/
  32. Competitive Enterprise Institute, Fifty Years of Wrong Predictions, 2019: https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-of-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions/
  33. Liberty Energy, Bettering Human Lives Report August 2022: https://www.libertyenergy.com/betteringhumanlivesv2/
  34. Mark Mills, Prager Univ. Myths of Green Energy, Nov. 2022: https://twitter.com/prageru/status/1589634529253261312
  35. Five Charts to Show the Ineffectiveness of Intermittent Renewables WUWT Oct 2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/10/05/a-few-graphs-say-it-all-for-weather-dependent-renewables-2/
  36. Sweden Energy Portfolio: https://www.iea.org/countries/sweden#
  37. Finland Energy Portfolio: https://www.iea.org/countries/finland
  38. Finland’s Nuclear Plants, World Nuclear Association : https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/finland.aspx
  39. Finland’s newest nuclear plant, Olkiluoto #3,  starts up in April 2023. 18 years to build: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/after-18-years-europes-largest-nuclear-reactor-start-regular-output-sunday-2023-04-15/
  40. Finland GTK “Time to Wake up” Slide Presentation: https://www.gtk.fi/en/research/time-to-wake-up/
  41. Dick Storm Blog, Energizing and Educating the Public on the Impossibility of Achieving Net-Zero Carbon: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/03/20/educating-and-energizing-the-public-on-energy-policy-and-the-impossibility-of-powering-america-with-wind-and-solar/
  42. Dick Storm Blog, Comparison of U.S. and China Electricity Use: https://dickstormprobizblog.org/2023/01/18/comparison-of-china-energy-electricity-generation-with-u-s-a/
  43. The Real Price of Wind and Solar: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  44. Cowboy State Daily, March 2023: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/03/10/letter-to-the-editor-children-should-be-taught-what-energy-is-so-they-can-fight-idiocy/
  45. Self Sabotage the Electric Grid: WSJ January 2023:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-self-sabotages-its-electrical-grid-renewable-fossil-fuel-power-11672685320
  46. Donn Dears website, Politics of Energy Policy part 2 and links to purchase his books: https://ddears.com/2022/08/08/the-politics-of-energy-part-2/
  47. Ron Clutz “Science Matters”, website and his take on green Energy: https://rclutz.com/2023/03/17/multiple-choice-question-re-green-energy/#like-30057
  48. American Suppression of Fossil Fuels Courts a National Security Disaster, By Ronald Stein P.E.  https://heartland.org/opinion/american-suppression-of-fossil-fuels-courts-a-national-security-disaster/
  49. WSJ The Real Price of Wind and Solar, Renewables Cost More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-balancing-costs-united-kingdom-energy-bills-9795e48d?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
  50. World’s Climate Scientists Told to Cover Up the Fact the world has not warmed in 15 years, Daily Mail, UK: https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425775/amp/Climate-scientists-told-cover-fact-Earths-temperature-risen-15-years.html  
  51. TED Talk Nuclear Power Is Our Best Hope to Ditch Fossil Fuels | Isabelle Boemeke on the need for more nuclear power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESAaz9v4mSU
  52. WUWT March 20th, 2023, UN- IPCC Climate Warming Report: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/20/ipcc-issues-their-annual-final-climate-warning/
  53. David Blackman Energy Absurdity , EU Renewables, March 25, 2023: https://open.substack.com/pub/blackmon/p/sundays-energy-absurdity-about-those?r=kv1a9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

In My opinion and research, the Path to Net Zero Carbon is Based on Corrupted Science and Political Ploys to Promote Socialism and One World Government, Not to Save the Planet or to Improve the Environment. Therefore, to substantiate this claim the following references are provided:

  1. Epoch Times article on UN Seeking Power to Govern the World in Emergencies: https://www.theepochtimes.com/un-seeks-vast-new-powers-for-global-emergencies_5186457.html?ea_src=open&ea_med=search
  2. The Climate Change Hoax Argument, 2021, by J. Paul Smith. Available on Amazon.
  3. U.N. Agenda 21 by Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh
  4. The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science by Dr. Timothy Ball. Review of his book: https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/BOOK%20REVIEW%20-%20‘THE%20DELIBERATE%20CORRUPTION%20OF%20CLIMATE%20SCIENCE%20by%20TIM%20BALL.pdf
  5. Roy Spencer Web site: https://www.drroyspencer.com
  6. CO2 Coalition of Credentialed Scientists on Facts on Atmospheric Science: https://co2coalition.org/facts/
  7. Heartland Institute: http://climatechangereconsidered.org
  8. Prof. Lindzen article in Tablet Magazine on China and his views on AGW: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/china-warming-richard-lindzen
  9. Professor Judith Curry Interview January 30, 2021 on AGW: https://judithcurry.com/2021/01/30/interview-climate-change-a-different-perspective-with-judith-curry/
  10. Professor Willliams Happer and Professor Richard Lindzen Testimony to SEC June 2022: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-10-22/s71022-20132171-302668.pdf
  11. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  12. Climate Science, Past, Presenby Vinos with forward by Judith Curry: https://judithcurry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vinos-CPPF2022.pdf
  13. GWPF Sept 22, 2022, Richard Lindzen Paper: https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2022/09/Lindzen-global-warming-narrative.pdf
  14. Predictions of last 50 years were all wrong:   https://www.climategate.nl/2023/01/wat-bezielt-extinction-rebellion/
  15. Epoch Times article, Jan. 28, 2022 on Climate Policy is to benefit of China: https://www.theepochtimes.com/ccp-proves-climate-fight-not-really-about-climate_4971356.html
  16. Environmental Groups Influence Biden Environmental Policy, Fox News check of emails: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/environmental-groups-play-key-role-biden-admin-foreign-policy-emails-show  
  17. John Kerry Meetings on Climate Policy NOT TO BE ON Paper, Aug. 2021, Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerrys-secretive-climate-office-discussed-keeping-plans-paper-emails-show
  18. 114th Congress Report on Obama Carbon Policies and Influence of Green Groups through EPA Revolving Door Employment of Environmental Extremists: http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/USSEWP080415.pdf
  19. WUWT Feb. 19, 2023, Check the Facts on Sea Level Rise and Global Warming: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/02/19/hey-axios-try-looking-at-real-data-it-shows-ice-sheet-melting-is-not-dangerous/
  20. Here is a linkedIn post I made: Dick Storm LI Post on SC Energy policies and failed coal and nuclear plant plans: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184184178920312833?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
  21. Texas Tribune report on Feb. 2021 cold weather storm deths: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/02/texas-winter-storm-final-death-toll-246/#:~:text=Texas%20has%20added%2036%20more,disasters%20in%20the%20state’s%20history.
  22. South Carolina Legislation to achieve Net-Zero Carbon and replace coal generation with carbon free primary energy: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3194.htm
  23. Thomas J. Shepstone substack article. “A Balanced Energy Portfolio is Critical but South Carolina Doesn’t Seem Get It” : https://energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/a-balanced-energy-portfolio-is-critical?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
  24. Post & Courier article on Power Demand increase from Data Centers, April 2024: https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/editorials/google-data-centers-energy-hogs/article_1c7b558c-062b-11ef-836f-87365c650aef.html
  25. WLTX News on Data Center Power Requirements, April 2024: https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/south-carolina-energy-data-centers/101-9a055fc9-e66f-4e3e-bebb-c58f5b7c1ab5

American Energy Independence With a Rational Energy Policy is Needed Now!

America and all Developed countries require Energy to power our lives and our economy. It is time (for the government, energy savvy citizens already know this) to face the facts and reality that nearly 90% of the energy America depends on, including for our Defense of National Security, is sourced from conventional fuels or sources of natural gas, nuclear, oil, coal and old hydropower generation. Wind and Solar cannot replace these forms of energy and the path to Net-Zero Carbon will weaken our country. A Rational Energy Transition is needed over the next few decades. As a reminder, the Sankey Diagram below shows the total primary energy flows by sources and flow for all of 2021 forms of energy . Note that less than 5% of the primary energy provided to the U.S. was from wind and solar.

The two key words are PRIMARY ENERGY! As a couple people have asked me on EV’s…..”You mean the electricity has to be generated somewhere else to charge an electric vehicle?”

Yes, over 89% of the PRIMARY ENERGY we use is from conventional sources of Petroleum, Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear and Hydroelectric and yes, electricity to charge an EV likely came from conventional sources.

I have met with numerous groups to discuss our energy future and every time I outline the current government path to Net-Zero Carbon the people I talk with are shocked that there is not a planned transition to reduced carbon emissions and sustaining a reliable, affordable energy supply. Why? I believe it is because those that are knowledgeable in all forms of primary energy production are a small minority. Similar for secondary energy production, such as for producing electricity and hydrogen. I estimate that the people who thoroughly understand energy production is less than 5% of American (and the world) citizens. Smooth talking non-energy savvy politicians, the United Nations, the Main Stream Media, World Economic Forum and Public Education have Hoodwinked the Public into Demonizing carbon and preaching and legislating Green Power incentives. These powerful innfluencers have forced wind and solar Green Energy Religion on Americans. It is not possible to switch all of America or the rest of the Free World to Renewable wind and solar energy. It is possible to have a smooth transition to increase carbon free nuclear power and nuclear power produced hydrogen over the next three decades, but not by 2030 or 2035 as is proclaimed by the Biden Administration. America has no energy policy, only a policy of demonizing carbon and forcing the citizens to depend on unreliable, intermittent wind and solar.

Energy Misinformation is World-Wide

My friend Vincent who lives in France has sent me dozens of informative documents on energy. One document he sent yesterday caught my attention. It is the opening introduction of Professor Samuel Furfari’s article published on the Friends of Science Blog of Calgary University. I will quote Professor Furfari as he captures what I believe to be true as well. Furfari is referring to Europe, but much of what he states is applicable all over the Free World:

Energy is life. Without energy, we could not live. That is why our distant ancestors adopted, then invented ways to create fire. The use of energy is essential for life: animals and human beings eat because their bodies need energy. Moreover, energy is also the blood that runs through the veins of the economic system. In recent years, instead of seeing energy as a vital commodity, environmental activists have succeeded in reversing the logic by blaming energy for all the planet’s ills, to the point where energy is no longer spoken of in negative terms. Energy has become the symbol of pollution and climate catastrophe. A few days ago, at the end of a lecture, a student confessed to me that he had been shaken because I had shown, with data, that the quality of life measured by the UN HDI index and life expectancy at birth depended on per capita energy consumption. This correlation is also valid with CO2 emissions since 82% of the energy used in the world is fossil fuel. He had never thought about it. No one had ever told him that.” Furfari continues….

“Will the current crisis be enough to bring us back to the common sense of the absolute priority of having abundant and cheap energy, as the founders of the EU said in the past? This is not certain, as the population has been so indoctrinated with negative and even catastrophic messages. But if the current crisis was to last and worsen, climate policies could face fierce opposition from the population, since it is true that the population cannot do without abundant and cheap energy, as the current panic demonstrates. Thanks to the development of technology and our energy resources (North Sea hydrocarbons and nuclear energy), the EU was able to escape the oil crises of the 1970s. The energy terrorism that may develop in the near future will have much more far-reaching consequences, as the EU is now much more dependent on energy consumption than it was fifty years ago.”

The foregoing is from a European viewpoint. My opinion/commentary now continues:

We Cannot Electrify Everything!

It is not even possible to install enough wind turbines and solar collectors across the U.S. to “Electrify Everything”. Further, we cannot electricfy everything and still sustain our high quality of living. For such products/materials as fertilizer, ammonia, food production energy, plastics, cement manufacture and steel manufacture. So what would a Rational Energy Policy look like? Here is my shot at offering one:

A RATIONAL ENERGY PLAN

Here is what a Rational Energy Plan would look like:

  1. Maintain Existing Coal & Nuclear Plants as If they will Run for 20 more years….because… we will likely need them.
  2. Reduce Federal Regulations on Oil, Gas, Coal production and all hard rock Mining within the U.S.A.
  3. Reduce Regulations and build more Refinery Capacity
  4. Approve Keystone and other Pipelines for Construction
  5. Reduce Federal Regulations on Coal Plant Emissions to levels in effect in 2020 (except CO2 restrictions that were later vacated by SCOTUS)
  6. Build New HELE Coal Plants, Equipped with Provisions for Future CCUS     (HELE=High Efficiency Low Emissions)
  7. Continue R & D for Energy Storage and Hydrogen Production
  8. Increase Hydrogen Distribution Infrastructure
  9. Keep Options of Continuing Internal Combustion Engines Beyond 2035 for those citizens that prefer Internal Combustion Engines
  10. Expand Oil & Gas Infrastructure to meet next 30 year Demand
  11. Increase the pace for designing, NRC Approvals, manufacturing and construction of new Small Modular Nuclear Reactors to be built all across the U.S.A. to replace the 102,000 MW’s of reliable, Dispatchable electric power production capacity that has been shut down since 2010.

Summary and Conclusions

When America’s economy and our productive capacity are restored, it will be with the result of reduced Federal Regulations and increased Domestic Energy production. To sustain life as we know it, each American on average needs about one million BTUs of energy equivalence each day. This includes energy for electricity generation, transportation, Industrial production, National Defense, commercial and residential uses. Over 90% of that energy is sourced from conventional sources of natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear. These numbers are substantiated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Sankey Diagram I placed as the first illustration. Yes, it shows 95% of the primary energy America runs on is from conventional forms of energy. It is Energy Fiction to believe that the conventional forms we use and depend on now can be provided by wind and solar as the Biden Administration and Congress have advocated. (I suppose we could add to this list of indoctrinators: the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Environmental Extremist groups, the MSM, U.S. Public Education and Woke corporations)

If the Biden Administration and Congress do not create a Rational Energy Policy as I have outlined above, then America’s Infuence in the World and our Economy will go into an ever increasing decline. As outlined by Professor Samuel Furfari, the same is true for Europe. “Energy is Life, Without Energy we cannot live”.

The Developed World runs on energy and America has the natural resources to regain Energy Independence.

Dick Storm, October 12, 2022

Quote of the Week: 
“Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression.” —James Madison (1788)
Ken Haapala President of SEPP

References and Additional Reading materials:

  1. Energy is Life by Samuel Furfari, Oct 17, 2022: https://blog-friendsofscience-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/blog.friendsofscience.org/2022/10/17/energy-in-addition-to-the-security-challenge-now-the-safety-challenge/amp/
  2. The changing world of energy and the geopolitical challenges”. Samuele Furfari’s latest book is “The hydrogen illusion”.
  3. Europe’s Energy Crisis Was Created by Politics: https://mises.org/wire/europes-energy-crisis-was-created-political-intervention
  4. WSJ-Nord Stream Blasts Likely Sabotage, German Probe Finds, October 17, 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nord-stream-blasts-were-likely-result-of-sabotage-german-probe-finds-11666016047?mod=mhp
  5. WSJ-Winter’s Approach Raises Stakes in European Energy Crisis, Oct 16, 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/winters-approach-raises-stakes-in-european-energy-crisis-11665926245?mod=djem_EnergyJournal
  6. Alex Epstein substack, October 2022, How a Fake Climate Emergency Created a True Energy Crisis: https://alexepstein.substack.com/p/how-a-fake-climate-emergency-created?utm_source=email
  7. No, Melting Greenland Ice is Not About to Swamp Coastal Areas, H. Sterling Burnett, The Heartland Institute: : https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/no-melting-greenland-ice-is-not-about-to-swamp-coastal-areas
  8. Is Global Warming the Cause of Ian? The evidence says NO! Watts UpWith That: October 16, 2022: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/10/16/is-global-warming-responsible-for-hurricane-ian-the-evidence-says-no/ For references use this link.
  9. States to Ban Gas Cars Despite the Human and Environmental Cost, Epoch Times, September 26, 2022:   https://link.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/states-to-ban-gas-powered-cars-despite-human-and-environmental-cost-of-electric-vehicles_4726635.html?utm_campaign=app-cc&utm_source=ref_share
  10. Sea Level Rise Jumpy After Last Ice Age, WUWT:
    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/12/01/sea-level-rise-jumpy-after-last-ice-age/
  11. The Week that Was by the Science and Environmental Policy Project, Edited by Ken Haapala, President: http://www.sepp.org/the-week-that-was.cfm
  12. Net Zero=Pro China, Pro Russia, Science Matters, Ron Clutz, October 2022: https://rclutz.com/2022/10/13/net-zero-pro-china-pro-russia/#like-27736
  13. Net Zero Watch, October 2022: https://mailchi.mp/dca1b92c985c/us-banks-threaten-to-withdraw-from-net-zero-alliance-191791?e=9e46528ac6
  14. Liberty Energy, Bettering Human Lives Report August 2022: https://www.libertyenergy.com/betteringhumanlivesv2/
  15. Donn Dears Politics of Energy Part 1 (Largest energy reserves): https://bit.ly/3J5OnTc 
  16. Donn Dears, Politics of Energy Part 2 :  https://bit.ly/3QuEuRs
  17. Donn Dears Politics of Energy Part 3: 
  18. Donn Dears, Destroying Energy Security Part 1 (SEC and ESG reporting):  https://bit.ly/3C1a5Xd 
  19. Donn Dears, Destroying Energy Security Part 2: https://bit.ly/3JVGWyD
  20. Donn Dears, Destroying Energy Security, Part 3: https://bit.ly/3A8cvRl
  21.  Donn Dears, China’s Coal-Fired Plants Dominate:  http://bit.ly/3RL6PEJ
  22. Donn Dears, Europe’s Rendezvous with Destiny: https://bit.ly/3caBprb 
  23. Donn Dears, IPCC Report, Part 1: https://bit.ly/3Aeruea
  24. Donn Dears, IPCC Report, Part 2: https://bit.ly/3AqFm53 
  25. CO2 Coalition Facts: https://co2coalition.org/facts/
  26. Competitive Enterprise Institute, Cooler Heads Website: https://go.cei.org/webmail/287682/949316776/68e507be334cf34c7d54b4b2a348b50f1d373ec69c94d0d629001f91129chttps://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coming-global-crisis-of-climate-policy-europe-germany-energy-prices-bankruptcy-winter-subsidies-borrowing-green-nuclear-116626510701e7d

American Dream = 100 Quadrillion Btus 

Introduction

The recent Supreme Court ruling which  trimmed the power of the EPA is important to provide for less government restrictions and for the freedom of future Americans to enjoy the “American Dream”. This post is based on the importance of energy to power our way of life. Each American uses about a million Btus of energy each day. Energy fuels our way of life. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has kept track of the total primary energy use of America for many years. Total primary energy use has held steady at about 100 quads (+/-10) per year for the last 23 years. Total Primary Energy includes all forms of energy. The Energy Flow Chart for 2021 is copied below:

Total Energy Flow Chart for the U.S. in 2021
LLNL TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGY FLOW CHART 2021: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov

Total Primary Energy Supply 1999-2021 about 100 Quadrillion Btu’s

A fair question is, what does the Supreme Court ruling on the EPA’s right to regulate carbon have to do with living the American Dream? Here is my answer. If we accept that the U.S. requires 100 quadrillion Btus of energy to power our high quality of living, then how can we continue living our good lives if over 80% of the fuel we depend on is considered unavailable by the government? Yes, from the LLNL figure above, (in Quads) 35.1 Petroleum + 10.5 Coal +31.3 Natural Gas +8.13 nuclear power   = 85.03 quadrillion Btus which is 87.4 % of the 97.3 Quads of Total Primary Energy.

Thermal energy is important for every American. The 87.4% includes nuclear. Therefore, the total primary energy provided from conventional forms of energy is 87.4%.

The government, “Woke” Business leaders, celebrities and many in the media have pushed the fantasy of achieving American energy needs from 100% solar and wind by 2030 or 2050.  To attempt to be polite, thinking we can replace conventional forms of energy within a few years is being detached from reality and delusional. Let me explain why I believe this to be so by looking at the last 23 years of energy use to show where we came from in two decades and to then look into the future to see the next two decades:

EIA Annual Energy Outlook 1999

The 1999 Sankey diagram (above) shows total energy use in the U.S. of 96.6  quadrillion Btus. I stated above that America’s total primary energy has held pretty steady for decades. So, here is the factual data of energy flows from 1999. Over the years, the fuel sources have changed but the total primary energy required to power our lives and economy has remained fairly constant, right at 100 quadrillion Btus.  In 1999 coal was 23.3 quadrillion Btus and natural gas 19.29. The “Shale Gas Revolution” which began about 2010 created production of low cost natural gas which displaced much of the coal used for power generation. This fuel substitution of natural gas for coal was mostly for economic dispatch reasons of a more economical fuel for power generation. By the way, if you compare the natural gas prices/million Btus to coal today, coal looks far more reasonable in cost.

EIA Data and authors notes

Total Primary Energy is Needed for Electricity Generation Plus… Industry, Transportation, Commercial and Residential

The graph below was prepared by the EIA to illustrate the production and use of total energy in the U.S.A. from 1950 to 2020. This also supports the statement that America has used right at 100 Quadrillion Btus for the last 23 years. This includes all forms of energy and including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, Biomass, geothermal. As can be seen from the graph, energy independence was achieved in 2020. This was largely as the result of increased oil and natural gas production within the U.S.A.

Total primary energy production and consumption 1950-2020

The Fantasy of Wind and Solar Replacing Conventional Energy and Achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2050

Fossil fuels plus nuclear energy provided over 87% of America’s total primary energy for the year 2021. This is a fact. (as shown on the first chart above from LLNL) It is also a fact that wind and solar together provided about 5% of our total primary energy. The question needs to be asked, Is it reasonable to expect solar and wind to replace the energy currently provided by petroleum, natural gas, coal and nuclear? I say NO it is not reasonable to expect solar and wind to replace coal, oil, gas and nuclear any time soon. Yes, wind and solar are being forced on America by the energy policies and incentives of government, but it is implausible to expect the total of 100 Quadrillion Btu’s equivalent of energy to come from wind and solar. In my opinion, impossible until there are major technological advancements.

Here are eleven reasons why Net-Zero Carbon is Not Practical within the next 28 years:

  • The land area of 100% renewables required is enormous. The energy density of solar and wind is far too low(1)
  • Electricity storage is not yet technologically advanced for commercial applications at Utility scale for long time periods
  • If all Internal Combustion Engines for ground transportation are electrified, then it exacerbates the first two points. It still takes about the same primary energy content to move vehicles no matter what fuel or energy source is used. Example, EV’s need charging to provide motive force
  • Solar and Wind are not Dispatchable. They provide maximum output as nature provides when the wind blows and the sun shines, not as Citizen electricity demand requires
  • About 8-10% of petroleum is refined into Jet Fuel. Hydrogen fueled aircraft may be safe & practical some day, but that someday is decades away.
  • Fertilizer and food production uses between 2 and 5% of total primary energy. This cannot be replaced with wind and solar
  • The Transmission and Distribution network of the electric Grid is not setup for solar and wind systems. It takes time to permit, design and construct T&D systems
  • Oil, coal and natural gas provide raw materials for textiles, rubber, plastics and many other products that the world depends on
  • Coking coal is required to produce the best quality steel from iron ore
  • Cement production requires fuel for production
  • Nuclear power is the largest provider of carbon free energy, yet there is only one new nuclear plant under construction in the U.S. The Georgia Power Plant Vogtle Units 2 &3

All Fuels are Important and a Balanced Energy Portfolio is Preferred

America has been depending on coal power for many years. Although not appreciated by the media and even some Utility Exec’s, coal remains important. I will cite three examples below: First the U.S. Grid Electric Generation by fuel type for the weeks of September 25 -October 2, 2021 and from June 10- 16, 2022. Note the Dispatchable power of over 80% in both cases, with coal providing a significant portion of the generation. Also shown below are screen shots of actual generation by fuel for both the MISO and PJM RTO’s (Regional Transmission Operators)

From EIA U.S. Grid Monitor website
MISO Energy Generation by Fuel: https://www.misoenergy.org
PJM Interconnection: https://www.pjm.com/markets-and-operations

The four illustrations above show examples of the importance of coal fuel to electric power generation for the lower 48 states, for the Midcontenent Independent System Operator and for the PJM Interconnection. All four examples show significant generation by Dispatchable power: coal, gas and nuclear. These four charts could be considered “A Balanced Generation Portfolio” By balanced, I mean fuel diversity of nuclear, gas, coal and renewables. This is good, however, the current U.S. Path is to shutdown many of the coal plants that were participating in the above “examples. Take a look at the EIA report that states 12.6 GW of coal plants to retire by 2022. (4)

Also, the recent closures of Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan and the William Zimmer 1300 MW coal plant near Cincinnati.

Coal, The American Treasure of Energy

When I was active in the American Coal Council we had an interesting speaker from the National Coal Council, on the coal, oil and gas reserves within the borders of the U.S. The speaker (Robert Beck) presented a study of using captured CO2 to force oil still trapped beneath Ohio’s old oil fields. As I recall, the presentation summary was that any place that coal is found, so is oil and gas. Thus, if you look at a map of U.S. coal deposits, sure enough, gas and oil has also been produced. Getting back to the National Coal Council presentation, the statement was made that about 3 million barrels a day of oil could be recovered from the “Old abandoned” Ohio Oil fields of decades ago, by using enhanced oil recovery of pressurizing the oil deposits with CO2 captured from the many coal plants in Ohio.(5) Here below is an illustration of world coal reserves. It could be said, the U.S. likely has the largest fossil fuel reserves in the world. The statement made by a coal expert that I heard ten years ago seems true, “Wherever there is coal, so is there oil and gas”. Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Dakota all have coal and all have had significant oil and gas production since Hydraulic Fracturing combined with directional drilling has been utilized.

Why should our politicians cripple our economy over the politically inspired (not Environmental protection driven) U.N. -IPCC, Paris agreement?(56,57,58,59) America can be Energy Independent. We were in 2020 and we can do it again!

From EIA and American Geosciences sources

Meanwhile in China

China is the world’s largest producer of aluminum and steel. They also are the largest manufacturing nation on the planet. This manufacturing might is powered mostly by coal power. China gets it and they are diligently working toward a “Balanced Generation Portfolio” of coal, nuclear, wind, solar and gas.(51, 52, 53) Russia is conveniently in an excellent geographic and economic position to supply coal, oil, nuclear and gas to China to power their industrial output.

BP Statistical Review
World Nuclear Association website(10)

China is a large country that is committed to increasing the size of their economy. Powering manufacturing requires large amounts of reliable, reasonable cost electricity generation. China has a truly “Balanced Portfolio of Generation Capacity”, including nuclear as shown above and also enormous amounts of renewable power from the Three Gorges Hydroelectric plant which is over 22 GW in capacity, as well as wind, solar and coal. I thought I should interject the energy facts regarding China’s Bulk Power Generation, because competing with them will require reasonable cost Bulk Power here. Especially for energy intensive manufacturing such as aluminum smelting and other primary metals production.

Conclusions from Excerpts of Vaclav Smil book, “Power Density” on the Use of Wind, Water and Solar to Generate most of Our Electricity

Vaclav Smil has written many books on Energy, Power and Electricity generation. His book “POWER DENSITY” for this discussion is particularly relevant. Copied below are excerpts from the final chapter of “POWER DENSITY”:

“What Would it Take”

“If you are willing to engage in unbounded science and engineering fiction, then acccording to Jacobson and Delucchi (2011), this is what it would take to supply the world with 100% renewable energy in 2030 by using electricity (generated by wind, water and solar PV installations) and electrolytic hydrogen for all purposes: 3.8 million 5-MW wind turbines, 49,000 300-MW central solar plants, 1.7 billion 3-kW rooftop PV installations, 5,350 100-MW geothermal plants, 270 new 1.3 GW hydro stations, 720,000 0.75-MW wave devices and 490,000 1-MW tidal turbines. All of that will require only about 0.4% of the world’s land for its footprint and 0.6% for spacing, and we are assured that the barriers to the plan are primarily social and political, not technological or economic as the energy cost in a new wind-water-solar world should be similar to that today” (The above is quoting from Jacobson and Delucchi)

Smil continues (from pg 244, Power Density)

“These assurances asides, the simplest reality check shows the fictional nature of these assumptions. In 2013 the worldwide capacity in wind turbines reached 330 GW, while 13 TW (40 times as much) would be needed by 2030. Total rooftop and large plant PV capacity reached about 100 GW, but 17.1 TW of these installations would be required (170 times as much); moreover, there was not a single 300-MW solar PV plant (five plants rated between 200-250 MW), whereas 40,000 would be needed by 2030. In 2013 there was only one central solar power facility rated at more than 300 MW, Ivanpah, at 392 MW, but nearly 5,000 such facilities would be needed by 2030 (an increase of four orders of magnitude). There were fewer than 50 geothermal stations rated at more than 100 MW, but 5,350 would be needed (a 100-fold increase). Pelamis (2014, the world’s most advanced wave energy company, produced six 0.75 MW devices by the beginning of 2014, but 720,000 would need to be operating by 2030 (an increase of five orders of magnitude). Finally, by 2013 there were fewer than ten small tidal stations with aggregate installed power of much less than 1 GW, while 490 GW would have to generate by 2030 (two orders of magnitude more).

Such ramping-up of all kinds of capacities-design, permitting, financing, engineering, construction, all going up between one and five orders of magnitude in less than two decades-is far, far beyond anything that has been witnessed in less than two decades-is far, far beyond anything that has been witnessed in more than a century of developing modern energy systems. And that still leaves out two other key facts, namely, that such a gargantuan renewable energy system would need an enormous expansion of high-voltage transmission and would require the creation of an entirely new, hydrogen-based society. I am still not sure how we would fly with hydrogen (or electricity) or smelt pig iron. In any case the chances of a 100% water-wind-solar world to be ready by 2030 are nil, but it is worth while exploring what it would (realistically) take to create an increasingly nonfossil global energy system.” The preceding “What Would it Take” is a direct quotation from Smil’s book, pages 243-245.

Summary & Conclusions:

In my opinion, Vaclav Smil in the preceding paragraphs captured the essence of the fictional engineering that can create a path to Net-Zero Carbon by 2050. In the references that follow, Donn Dears and others have come to similar conclusions on the futility of achieving Net-Zero Carbon.

With regard to Anthropogenic Climate Change, I have included some references from expert Climate and Atmospheric Scientists that know the topic well.(2,7,8,9,10,12,13,15,16,56,58,59)

Climate Policies and the UN-IPCC are driven by politics and not by science or a sincere interest in saving the planet. Some references which support this claim are also included for further reading.(56,58,59)

I will close with seven conclusions, which are:

  • The Economic Harm to the U.S. if the Path to Net-Zero Carbon with solar and wind and without nuclear power as a major component, will weaken the U.S.A. and harm our capability to compete in world markets. Especially competing with China and the rest of the world in manufacturing.(2, 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9)
  • Dispatchable Coal Plants should not be shut down until they are replaced by proven and commissioned “Dispatchable” generating capacity. Shutting down 12.6MW of coal plants as planned, will lead to Blackouts and Brownouts(4,22,25, 26, 27)
  • Depending on wind and solar to replace the existing 2022 still operational coal and nuclear plants will lead to increased electricity costs as well as reduced reliability(14, 36)
  • China is the world’s largest manufacturer and will remain ahead of the U.S. and gain further if the U.S. continues down the Net-Zero Carbon Path(17, 18, 19, 28)
  • America invented nuclear power (Rickover) for peaceful purposes and was the world leader in developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes. We have lost that lead and China and Russia are building more nuclear power plants in the world than the U.S. Most of our problems are unessessary Federal Regulations(11, 51,53,57)
  • Energy Independence plus reasonable cost, abundant and Dispatchable Electricity are pre-requisites for a strong economy and a strong National Defense. America should expand and increase our treasures of nuclear, coal, oil and gas forms of energy to reachieve Energy Independence.(5)
  • The U.S. should use all of the energy resources within our borders to be 100% Energy Independent. This includes the Treasure of Coal Energy which we know how to burn cleanly.(30, 31, 32)

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Storm, July 4th, 2022

References for Further Reading:

  1. Vaclav Smil Book, “POWER DENSITY” The MIT Press 2015
  2. Donn Dears Book, Net-Zero Carbon, The Climate Policy Destroying America” 2022
  3. Donn Dears website, numerous article on the foolishness of Zero Carbon policies, EV’s and Power Generation: https://ddears.com/donns-articles/
  4. EIA Report on 12.6 GW of Coal Plants to Close in 2022, January 2022: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50838
  5. National Coal Council, Carbon Collection and use for Enhanced Oil Recovery, 2012: http://www.nationalcoalcouncil.org/reports/07-10-12-NCC_Harnessing_Coals_Carbon_Content_to_Advance_Economy_Environment_EnergySecurity.pdf
  6. Capital Research Center, Nov. Dec. 2021 Issue article on the impossibility of replacing conventional energy with solar and wind: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Capital-Research-2021-8.pdf
  7. The Right Stuff Climate Team (Retired NASA Engineers): https://www.therightclimatestuff.com
  8. CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH CENTER REPORT, PRIMER ON ENERGY (GOOD REFERENCE WITH EXCELLENT FIGURES) https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46723
  9. Dr. Judith Curry, 15 slides to summarize Climate Change website: https://judithcurry.com/2021/09/03/15-minutes/#more-27827
  10. Science and Environment Policy Project  Website: http://www.sepp.org
  11. World Nuclear Association, Status of Nuclear Power in China: https://www.world-nuclear.org/country/default.aspx/China
  12. Global Warming Policy Foundation: https://www.thegwpf.org
  13. Mark Mills, The Myth of Renewable Energy: https://www.manhattan-institute.org/the-myth-of-the-great-energy-transition
  14. WSJ, Wind Stops in Europe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/energy-prices-in-europe-hit-records-after-wind-stops-blowing-11631528258?mod=djem_EnergyJournal
  15. A key segment begins at minute 24 where the effects of CO2 are discussed by Professor Happer. https://bit.ly/3zsXcS6
  16. SKY NEWS SUN ACTIVITY AFFECTS EARTH TEMPERATURE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViY2J3LPgN4
  17. China buying Russian oil, gas and coal, Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/asian-buyers-russian-oil-gas-coal-2022-02-22/
  18. China-Russian Energy Deal, February 2022: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russia-china-may-sign-energy-other-deals-amid-moscow-tension-with-west-2022-02-03/
  19. Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia as World’s largest oil supplier, June 20, 2022 Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-20/china-buys-7-5-billion-of-russian-energy-with-oil-at-record
  20. Korea Times, China depends on Sanctioned Russian Fuel, June 20, 2022: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/world/2022/06/501_331352.html
  21. Utility Dive, Capacity Auction Prices, June 25,2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pjm-capacity-auction-nuclear-solar-coal-prices/625861/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-06-22%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:42604%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  22. Detroit News, Consumers Energy to End Coal Use in 2025: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2022/06/23/michigan-panel-approves-consumers-energy-plan-end-coal-use-2025/7716918001/
  23. Alliant and WEC Change Plans to Retire Coal to Meet Demand, June 22, 2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/wisconsin-utilities-coal-retirement-miso-delay/626005/
  24. WSJ Report on Ameren Keeping Rush Island Operating to Satisfy Demand June 10, 2022:https://www.wsj.com/articles/old-coal-plant-neared-retirement-but-now-its-needed-to-keep-the-lights-on-11654858801?mod=djem_EnergyJournal
  25. WSJ May 8, 2022, Power Plants Struggling With Electricity Shortages to Keep Power on: https://www.wsj.com/articles/electricity-shortage-warnings-grow-across-u-s-11652002380?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=0&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s 
  26. WSJ June 18, 2022, West Risks Blackouts From Drought and loss of Hydroelectric Capacity: https://www.wsj.com/articles/west-risks-blackouts-as-hydroelectric-power-dries-up-11624008601?mod=article_inline  
  27. WSJ, Opinion, May 27, 2022, Jason Hayes, “Why Blackouts are Coming to Michigan” Regarding shutdown of Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-electricity-blackouts-are-coming-to-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-green-energy-renewable-climate-11653685521?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=5&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s
  28. The Guradian (UK) China’s Premier Calls For More Coal Plants, June 24, 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/chinese-premier-calls-for-more-coal-production-as-electricity-demand-soars 
  29. Global Food Supply at Risk Due to High Energy Prices, The Guardian, June 25, 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/25/our-global-food-supply-is-at-risk-when-high-gas-prices-limit-the-creation-of-fertiliser
  30. US and World Coal Reserves Map: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Coal-reserves-volumes-by-countries-of-the-world-3_fig1_328037099
  31. EIA 2nd reference on World Coal Reserves, EIA 2011: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=2930
  32. American Geosciences institute, World Coal Reserves: https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/maps/interactive-map-coal-resources-united-states
  33. EIA Total Energy Use 1950-2020: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43515
  34. St. Louis Fed. Renewable Power Increases have reduced Conventional Power Generation Capacity Factors, thus weakening cash flow for O&M and improvements: https://fredblog.stlouisfed.org/2020/10/renewables-have-increased-the-capacity-for-electricity-production/?utm_source=series_page&utm_medium=related_content&utm_term=related_resources&utm_campaign=fredblog
  35. Fact Check on Wind Power Cost: https://www.factcheck.org/2019/07/does-wind-work-without-subsidies/
  36. Forbes, Michael Schellenberger article on True Cost of Wind Power: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2021/04/20/why-renewables-cause-blackouts-and-increase-vulnerability-to-extreme-weather/?sh=6400daf54e75 
  37. EPA Retains Tools to Harm Coal Power Production, Utility Dive, July 1, 2022: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/supreme-court-epa-GHG-carbon-power-plant/626456/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-07-01%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:42837%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
  38. VOX, Electrify Everything! : https://www.vox.com/2016/9/19/12938086/electrify-everything
  39. Stanford, Mark Jacobson, Net Zero Carbon by 2050 : https://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/08/50states-renewable-energy-060815/
  40. Jacobson’s website: https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/WWS-50-USState-plans.html
  41. UN Net Zero Carbon website: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition  
  42.  Princeton University Net Zero Carbon Plan: Net Zero Carbon Project Princeton University Researchers, Jenkins et al: https://cmi.princeton.edu/annual-meetings/annual-reports/year-2019/the-net-zero-america-project-finding-pathways-to-a-carbon-neutral-future/
  43. Princeton University, additional presentations on reduced carbon emissions: https://cmi.princeton.edu/presentations/year-2022/
  44. Cornell Daily Sun, Speaker discusses Coal Plants in a Death Spiral: https://cornellsun.com/2016/10/03/keynote-speaker-investigates-recent-transformations-in-the-energy-grid/
  45. WSJ Australia Warning on Green Energy Risks:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-warning-from-australias-power-crisis-green-energy-anthony-albanese-11655659465?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=3&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s
  46. National News on Nuclear Power needed for the future carbon free generation January 23, 2022: https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2022/01/18/race-to-cut-carbon-emissions-splits-u-s-states-on-nuclear-b/#.Ye2BWS-B2J9
  47. Reuters, List of Coal Plants Scheduled to be shut down: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-coal-fired-power-plants-scheduled-shut-2021-10-28/
  48. S&P Global Natural Gas Use for Fertilizer production, surging natural gas prices, cause fertilizer costs to soar Jan 19, 2022: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/blogs/agriculture/011922-fertilizer-costs-natural-gas-prices
  49. Michael Schellenberger article on German experience of “Green Power”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/05/06/the-reason-renewables-cant-power-modern-civilization-is-because-they-were-never-meant-to/?sh=6da16be6ea2b
  50. NERC Long Term Reliability study: https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_2021.pdf
  51. MSNBC China and Russian Reactor Designs Dominate New Construction, Warns IEA Chief,  July 2022: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/01/russian-and-chinese-designs-in-87percent-of-new-nuclear-reactors-iea-chief.html
  52. Bloomberg, China’s Climate Goals Depend on 440 Billion Nuclear Power Plant Buildout: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-02/china-climate-goals-hinge-on-440-billion-nuclear-power-plan-to-rival-u-s
  53. IEA Global Energy Outlook, April 2022: https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/global-energy-outlook-2022/
  54. IEA Publications Available: https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/
  55. Three Gorges Dam, 22.5 MW : https://www.britannica.com/topic/Three-Gorges-Dam
  56. Climate Sensitivity is Likely Low Enough to be of Little Concernhttps://everythingclimate.wpcomstaging.com/emissions-climate-models/
  57. Nuclear Power Is Poised for a Comeback. (In U.S.) The Problem Is Building the Reactors, WSJ July 2022: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nuclear-power-climate-change-russia-energy-11655995024?mod=Searchresults_pos2&page=1
  58. United Nations-IPCC Reports Are Not Science: http://sepp.org/twtwfiles/2022/TWTW%206-25-2022.pdf
  59. Donn Dears, IPCC Report, Part 1: https://bit.ly/3Aeruea

Texas and Coal Power 6,000+ MW’s of Coal plant Capacity is missed!

Introduction:

My first assignment to Texas was as a young B&W Results Engineer. I was participating as one of the Results engineers to perform acceptance tests of a large (500 MW class) natural gas fueled boiler at the P.H. Robinson Plant near Houston. That was about 1968. After that involvement I watched with great interest as Texas built dozens of 500-750 MW natural gas and oil fueled plants all across Texas. Built by Foster-Wheeler, Combustion-Engineering and Babcock & Wilcox. Then came the Arab Oil Embargo in 1973 and Texas responded to this true energy crisis with an incredibly successful fuel change to power production changing from oil and gas to Texas and Wyoming coal. The huge build out of coal plants went from the late 1970’s till the mid 1980’s and I was impressed. I had the pleasure of working at many of the coal plants operated by various Texas Utility Companies and what impressed me most was the “Can Do” attitude of Texans. Then about 1978 I became very involved as a Field Engineer to help solve combustion and power generation challenges with ALCOA’s massive Rockdale, Texas Lignite Fueled Power Plant. Also in the mid 1980’s involvement with acceptance testing of the 450 MW Gibbons Creek Coal Plant near College Station.

Why am I writing this? It is because I am perplexed after watching for decades how Texans were so practical and innovative, they became enamored with Renewable Wind and Solar Power to a fault. I was not surprised that California had such foolish policies but found it odd that practical Texas would fall into the trap of too much dependence on unreliable, non dispatchable renewables.

In the 1970’s Texas rallied to successfully change from oil and gas fuel to coal. In 2021-2022 I see Texas rallying again to overcome the problem of over-dependence on renewables.

The Good Old Days of Coal Power and Aluminum Production in Rockdale

Here is how coal power in Texas helped to build some of the most productive aluminum manufacturing in North America. A major contributor to the local economy and manufacturer of critical metals for America at the same time providing over 1600 jobs. A story to document the relationship of reasonable cost energy and economic prosperity.

The following is from the Milam County Archives, 1974:

On November 24, 1952, something strange happened in the small, agriculturally-oriented Central Texas town of Rockdale. A visitor, seemingly from a different world, changed the living habits of its people along with the general tempo and appearance of its community. 

The courting days of the 1950’s has now, nearly 22 years later, turned into a love affair unmatched in many communities between industry and townspeople. 

It began innocently enough. The Korean War was raging on and government needed aluminum to make airplanes. Aluminum Company of America needed a new facility to meet the demand. Rockdale, with its large lignite reserves, was the apple in Alcoa’s eye. 

Thousands of acres of the “Cinderella fuel” nestled beneath the earth’s crust gave rise late in 1951 to the establishment of the aluminum industry in Milam County. Aluminum production demands electric power to break down ore, shipped in from South America, to form the lightweight, corrosion-free metal. 

Demand for the metal by government and this abundance of the electrical energy- producing fuel triggered boom-like industrialization when Alcoa’s multi-million dollar Rockdale Works raced into production only 13 months after groundbreaking. 

Tipping the giant vat to cast the first aluminum ingot were the plant’s first boss (now Alcoa board chairman and chief executive officer) John D. Harper and smelting division manager R. T. Whitzel of Pittsburgh corporate headquarters.

Today, Rockdale Works is Aluminum Company of America’s largest worldwide metal producer with eight potlines and the capacity for turning out 280,000 tons annually or 1.5 million pounds per 24-hour, continuous operation day. 

The original four-potline plant was expanded by two more lines in 1956 and the Central Texas smelter became Alcoa’s largest in 1969 with the addition of the seventh and eighth lines. For the first time, Alcoa began producing more aluminum in Texas than in any other state. Rockdale Works and Point Comfort Operations down on the Gulf Coast have a joint capacity for making 455,000 tons annually. 

Rockdale Works has one of the world’s biggest carbon electrode-making facilities and a diversified ingot plant which converts molten aluminum into extrusion, sheet and remelt ingot. The latter produces everything from a 50-pound to a 22,000-pound product. 

A couple of fabricating facilities further enhanced the company’s local investment in the 1960’s. An atomized aluminum powder unit was built in 1966 and has been expanded twice. It’s now the biggest aluminum powder producer in the U. S. Then came a redraw rod facility in 1968 which spews out “raw material” for Alcoa’s electrical conductor-or wire-fabricating plants, primarily its nearby Marshall (Texas) Works. 

The Rockdale story is like many across the Developed World. Reasonable cost and abundant energy is used to fuel a manufacturing facility with the end result of not only manufacturing vital materials but also contributing to employment, funding the local tax base and infra-structure and more. Energy and Economic prosperity go hand in hand. Now, the four power generating units at Sandow Station are shut down. The Rockdale Plant is for sale and aluminum is no longer manufactured here. It was a great run from 1952 till about 2008 when the Chinese took over the aluminum smelting market.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2017/12/22/alcoa-to-close-texas-site-divest-italian-smelter.html

Recent Shutdown of 6,453+ MW of Coal Capacity

Including the Sandow Plant which was adjacent to the ALCOA Rockdale Plant, there were five other robust, reliable coal plants shutdown. These are:

Sandow 1252 MW, Oklaunion 650 MW, Monticello 1,980 MW, J.T. Deely 932 MW, Big Brown 1,186 MW, TMPA Gibbons Creek 453 MW.

Perhaps the renewable wind and solar power capacity made some folks feel good when it was purchased and installed. I am sure it made the environmental extremists happy to see these coal plants gone. However, the people in the great state of Texas sure could have used the reliable electricity that could have been produced from these plants, had they not been prematurely shut down.

Hayden Ludwig published this short video on the Capital Research web site on more sinister reasons of America’s foolish Green Energy policies: https://capitalresearch.org/article/how-china-designed-american-environmental-policy/

It personally saddens me to see the loss of the aluminum manufacturing in Rockdale which essentially was given up to Chinese aluminum smelting capacity. It saddens me also to see the unneccessary suffering of the people of Texas. The environmental extremists may be happy to have successfully hoodwinked the politicians on the evils of carbon. Perhaps now is the time to account for the costs in the loss of American jobs, economic prosperity, the powering of heat pumps, Refineries and Businesses and often overlooked, contributions to the local schools and government infrastructure & tax base.

Dick Storm

February 19, 2021

China’s Economic Influence in the World and Some Thoughts on the need to Reshore American Manufacturing

If America Was the Arsenal of Democracy for the Allies in WWII, Then What to Think of The Rise of China?

I voted for and support President Trump for reelection in 2020 because, I see him as the first President in recent years to recognize and act on reversing the De-Industrialization of America. The graphic below shows the ranking of world manufacturers. This in itself is not troubling. However, as you read later in this document, the rise of China may not be done solely for Humanitarian purposes and to lift 1.5 billion chinese from poverty. The Chinese 100 year plan 1949-2049 serves the CCP First.

The Rise of China since 1950

The Chinese Flag and Statue in Front of The CCP School. From PBS News Hour Report 2019
From the You Tube Video Which Illustrates the Top 10 Car Producing Countries in the World. In 1950, China had Negligible Car Production

In 1950, China was not a significant manufacturer of automobiles when compared to other nations. I took screen shots of a you tube video presented by USCB which showed the changing world manufacturing of automobiles from 1950-2020. This video is on you tube.

Then, by the year 2000, China progressed to rank #8 manufacturing just short of 2 million vehicles per year and more than the UK.

China is admitted to the WTO (World Trade Organization) in 2001 and China welcomes western Industry to setup manufacturing facilities in China.  Yes, we gave much of our manufacturing expertise to China, but what they were not given, they took. The automobile production which is mostly for Chinese consumption, is an index of economic growth and increased demand for steel, aluminum, copper and other materials. 

The astounding production year 2016 is shown below and still increasing. China is now building more than 2X the number of motor vehicles than we do in America. 

By 2016, China has Progressed to Ranking the #1 Car Manufacturer in the World

Some may say, “so what?”  They have 1.5 Billion people in China and they need a lot of cars.  This is true. Yes, they do need a lot of cars, but let’s take a look at China’s Published Grand Strategy:

Well, the supply chain for building motor vehicles is much the same as for military equipment. 

Remember recent history of America in WWII when FDR referred to us as the “Arsenal of Democracy” Steel, aluminum, copper, electronics, ships, planes, tanks, guns, etc.

 Below is the World Steel Association report from 2018 steel production. (World Steel Association: https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/statistics/World-Steel-in-Figures.html)

I have seen these numbers, at least the percentages, in other articles and magazines. Fact: China produces over 50% of the World’s steel and Aluminum. 

On aluminum, in 2016 I was preparing for a talk and copied the aluminum production from the Aluminum Institute web site. This talk text is included on this Blog in 2016. References for World Aluminum Production are on the web at: (https://alucycle.world-aluminium.org/public-access/) Today they have updated the site to show a Sankey Diagram of aluminum flows by country and including recycling. 2018 data, International Aluminum Institute diagram is copied immediately below: 

The Largest World Producer of Aluminum is China. This from the International Aluminum Institute

The photo credit on the aluminum ingots on the dock is from the Wall Street Journal which wrote quite a bit about how China was taking over the world aluminum production in 2016. It began about 2002 from the chart above (no longer on the IAI website)

This was of particular interest to me because I did a great deal of work for ALCOA, all around the world, every year from 1977 to about 2012. I saw first hand how their business was shrinking from many plants all over the world and in 2006, about 125,000 employees, now drastically downsized. Thanks to China dumping of metal ingots on the world market.

Usually, I write about energy and electric power generation. That was my career for 50+ years. The observation I made during those years of world travel was that economic prosperity and energy use usually parallel each other. That is, it takes a lot of energy to create manufacturing  jobs and to produce primary metals. China after entering the WTO then began building new power plants at an incredible pace. They built more coal fueled power generation capacity in twenty years than America did in the preceding 100 years. This is not an exaggeration. The coal consumption data as compiled by the EIA (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration) is copied below. China uses about 5X America’s coal consumption for electric power generation.

China’s “Belt and Roads Initiative” is worldwide. It includes gaining control of ports and natural resources all over the world, including Africa and South America. I personally was involved with a meeting with a law firm in West Virginia in 2008 and China was attempting to purchase WVA metalurgical coal mine. As you will see below, they have secured a foothold in American Real-Estate in the Mariana Islands.

Coal Consumption for Electric Power Generation by China. From the US-Dept. of Energy, EIA

Not only does China consume a lot of coal for power generation, but they have exported their coal plants at extremely cheap prices to other countries of the world. This improves their manufacturing economy, employs millions of workers at home and expands their reach. It also works toward the economic harm of America (and all western countries) through unfair competition.

New Coal Power Generation Plant Being Built in Dubai, Hassyan Plant

Here is one example of a coal plant being built in Dubai with a joint venture of Chinese investments and UAE. Link: https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/hassyan-coal-fired-power-plant-dubai/

China is exporting their power generation equipment with components manufactured in China, all over the world. America once did this through USAID. 

Below is from a lecture by a retired General who had personal experience in command of Pacific Defense installations.

So, what is the economic activity that China is engaged in, in the South China Sea and Western Pacific?

Bloomberg News of Casino built in Saipan by China: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-02-15/a-chinese-company-has-conquered-a-piece-of-america

Some would say, so, China built a Casino on American soil in Saipan. So what? Also in the news if you dig deeply, is reference to China building military bases on manmade islands in the South China Sea and Pacific.  Here are some satelite photos:

Energy and Economic Prosperity are inter-related. The World uses about 100 million barrels of oil per day. Much of this oil is transported to Asia through the Straits of Malacca.

So, if I get back to the matters of manufacturing, energy and economic prosperity, then a picture can be drawn of the rise of Chinese influence and control and the reduction of American influence and control. The economic piece of the aggression is ceding of the western Free World’s Manufacturing might to China. In doing so, it provides a revenue stream to fund their military buildup. One estimate of the projected military resources in 2025 is shown below. The red images of planes, missles, ships, submarines are China’s. The blue represent America’s. 

In my opinion, the return of manufacturing to the U.S.A. is important. Remaining energy independent is important. Keeping America’s military strong to continue Ronald Reagan’s legacy of “Peace through Strength is important. 

Additionally, protecting America’s Intellectual Property and securing the R&D of  American Universities and Industry is important.

It is not only steel and aluminum that China has exceeded all other world manufacturers. It is also Pharmaceuticals as we learned during the recent Pandemic. It is also Rare earth minerals and electronics as used in modern electronic devices. Manufacturing by U.S.A. companies also funds R&D which is then owned by the inventing company. If manufacturing is lost in America much of the funding for higher education as well as R&D will be compromised.

All of these and more require a President to place America’s priorities FIRST. These are some of the reasons why I voted for President Trump and a Straight Republican Ballot.

Let me close by asking before you vote, please do research on the inter-relationships of the importance of being energy independent, economic prosperity, fair trade and improving K-12 as well as Trade and College education within our borders.

Dick Storm

November 1, 2020

Additional References:

  1. Brian T. Kennedy, President of American Strategy Group, “Facing Up to the China Threat”, https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/facing-china-threat/
  2. German News on 40 years of China’s Rise in Economic Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SBnK9XIlZE
  3. PBS Hour Power and Prosperity Nov 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JovtmKFxi3c
  4. Bloomberg News of Casino built in Saipan by China: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-02-15/a-chinese-company-has-conquered-a-piece-of-america
  5. Dubai Coal Power Plant being built by China joint venture: https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/hassyan-coal-fired-power-plant-dubai/
  6. Vehicle Manufacturing 1950-2018 You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZCeuTzc850
  7. World Steel Association report from 2018 steel production. (World Steel Association: https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/statistics/World-Steel-in-Figures.html)
  8. International Aluminum Institute:  web site. https://alucycle.world-aluminium.org/public-access/
  9. Dick Storm’s Blog, “The Importance of Energy to Economic Prosperity” https://dickstormprobizblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/21/part-4-the-importance-of-energy-to-economic-prosperity/