Energy
Draining Hetch Hetchy — Some History for San Francisco’s “Measure F”
San Franciscans will be voting next week on Measure F to study the draining of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Hetch Hetchy, for those who don’t know, is a spectacular, glacier-formed valley of equal proportion to its neighbor Yosemite Valley. Congress authorized a dam in 1913 to provide public hydroelectric power and a …
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CONTINUE READINGFrom Green Governor to Conservative Candidate: The Amazing Transformation of Mitt Romney
“EPA New England applauds Governor Romney for his strong environmental leadership.” That quote from EPA’s regional director in 2004 shows the extent of Romney’s transformation in the past eight years. It’s no secret that Mitt Romney’s current views on many issues differ from his actions as Governor of Massachusetts. Still, it’s a bit shocking to …
CONTINUE READINGHow Did Alaska Avoid the Resource Curse? Can Anyone Else Do So?
Dan made a useful point the other day about the possibility that increased energy production could yield a resource curse, i.e. an increase in unproductive and oligarchical rent-seeking when an economy becomes based upon resource extraction. One might add that this rent-seeking also tends to underdevelop a country’s human capital, as it has in Saudi …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Unintended Consequences of an Oil Boom
The idea of booming oil production sounds great, at least if you put aside environmental issues. For instance, in the current presidential race, one of the candidates has touted the advantages of becoming another Saudi Arabia. But economists seem to delight in telling us why something that sounds terrific will actually come back to bite …
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CONTINUE READINGHow to Act Like a Windmill: Spin Quickly While Standing in One Place
1. Shawn McCoy, a spokesman for Romney’s Iowa campaign, told The Des Moines Register, “He will allow the wind credit to expire, end the stimulus boondoggles, and create a level playing field on which all sources of energy can compete on their merits. “ (July 31,2012 Wall Street Journal) 2. “We will support nuclear and renewables, but …
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CONTINUE READINGRomney verus Obama: Showdown at the Auto CAFE
Perhaps lost in the media focus on the Republican convention, the Obama Administration created CAFE standards two months ago. (CAFE stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, a fancy name for gas mileage rules.) Romney immediately attacked the rules. It’s a very revealing – not to mention acrimonious — dispute. According to the Administration, the new …
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CONTINUE READINGThe trouble with resource shuffling
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Jon Wellinghoff recently voiced concern that California’s cap-and-trade program could lead to unforeseen consequences that would upset energy markets. He was speaking about resource shuffling, and echoing a letter his fellow Commissioner sent to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in August. What is resource shuffling? According to CARB, …
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CONTINUE READING“I Will Fight for Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas”
That’s what Mitt Romney said tonight. Yes, this is the same man who also said, just a month ago, that he believes that humans are contributing to climate change. But his heart belongs to fossil fuels. According to Mr. Romney, maximal use of fossil fuels is also the key to economic recovery. Romney even seems …
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CONTINUE READINGPACE Court Ruling Now Final: So What’s the Future of PACE?
Federal Judge Claudia Wilken, who has been presiding over the West Coast lawsuit to overturn federal housing policy and restore residential PACE energy financing programs, made her August ruling final today. As you may recall, Judge Wilken ruled in August that the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) would have to pursue a notice-and-comment rulemaking on …
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CONTINUE READINGAkin v. McCaskill on Energy
Rep. Akin and Sen. McCaskill have sharply different views on issues such as reproductive rights. The differences on environment and energy are less stark. McCaskill seems to be the better pick on environmental grounds because of her stronger support for renewable energy and Akin’s general anti-regulatory stance.
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