What is it about rising gasoline prices that causes IQs and body temperatures to converge? Or are our national politicians just behaving as usual, i.e., cravenly and cowardly? Democrats favor higher gasoline taxes and higher gasoline prices — except when gasoline prices are high. While claiming concern about rising levels of CO2, they demand gasoline […]
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The drive for energy independence is rooted in three concerns. First, we are vulnerable to oil disruptions. Second, our energy demands generate national security entanglements. And third, we face rising emissions of climate-altering carbon dioxide. Politicians have been calling for American energy independence for over thirty years. In 1973 U.S. foreign oil imports were at […]
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Montana’s experiment with electricity restructuring didn’t deliver its promises of lower costs. NorthWestern Energy’s residential customers currently pay some of the highest electricity rates in the region. And prices are likely headed higher. This has important consequences for policymakers concerned about Montana’s poor and elderly citizens. Is there a fix? A group called Montana Public […]
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“We do not need to despoil the pristine wilderness of the Arctic Refuge,” said John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society. I strongly agree. The Audubon Society long accepted carefully controlled exploration on its Rainey Sanctuary, a 26,800-acre wildlife preserve in southern Louisiana. Audubon was a pioneer when it permitted carefully regulated gas and oil drilling […]
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I recently met with a Bozeman writer about my opposition to subsidies for alternative fuels. Am I opposed to all subsidies, including those for fossil fuels, or just for wind, solar, and synfuels? Of course, I responded, I’m opposed to all commodity subsidies on ethical and environmental grounds. But I support federal investments in basic […]
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How will we meet our future energy demands and what are the environmental consequences of our choices? We’ll have a better chance at crafting successful policies if we recognize three vexing realities. First, fossil fuels are our cheapest, most available sources of energy. “Renewables” (e.g., solar and wind) will play only a limited role in […]
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Imagine the rewards for finding a viable substitute to oil. I can’t think of another situation where the positive incentives are better aligned to encourage the entrepreneurial discovery process. Governor Schweitzer is dealing with this today at his Montana Symposium. He believes that Montana can lead by producing synthetic fuels from our coal. In addition […]
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Oil is a non-renewable finite resource, yet we’ll never run out. How is this possible? The answers are not obvious and some folks are unduly concerned. Let’s explore the logic of oil exploration, production, and consumption. First, there is a critical difference between resources and reserves. Resources are the total physical stock of a natural […]
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With the 35th anniversary of Earth Day recently passed, memories of slogans and bumper stickers like “spilt wood, not atoms” come to mind. Yet as we ponder rising energy costs and growing concerns over global warming, we soon face major choices. When I was a Berkeley student in the 1960s, I was interested in nuclear […]
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Dear Governor Schweitzer: I supported your candidacy. I paid careful attention to your energy plans for Montana and believe you aspire to keep energy prices low while protecting Montana’s environment. I heartily endorse this goal. Hence I’m puzzled by your determination to subsidize the construction of ethanol plants and to mandate we use gasoline made […]
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