Articles | Reasonable Energy

The following report by Jonathan Lesser was originally published at the National Center for Energy Analytics. You can view the original publication here. Executive Summary There is a deep problem with one of the core concepts in the rationale for regulating carbon dioxide. It’s called the “social cost of carbon” (SCC). As a concept, SCC has some theoretical merit. However, it should not be used for making energy policy choices. The SCC can vary by orders of magnitude, depending on the research model. Moreover, it is often divorced from underlying scientific or economic principles, reflecting instead the assumptions and preferences of the modelers. Yet the SCC is used to justify staggeringly expensive regulations and mandates. Set aside the ongoing debate Read More ›

The following piece by Bill Peacock, originally published at Master Resource, references Senior Fellow Jonathan Lesser’s report, “The Crippling Costs of Electrification and Net Zero Energy Policies in the Pacific Northwest,” co-authored with Mitchell Rolling. You can read that report here. “The data make it clear that the only possible rationale for renewable energy—making significant reductions of CO2 emissions—cannot be achieved. The costs of attempting to do this are already imposing heavy costs on economies across the world.” By the 1800s, wind and solar were both mature and successful technologies. Yet as soon as Western society developed the wealth and technology to take advantage of fossil fuels, they were discarded—along with batteries for electric cars—with no place in the modern Read More ›

Jonathan Lesser appeared on Brandi Kruse’s [un]Divided podcast as her “Sundays with Subscribers” guest to discuss the devastating consequences of net-zero policies in the Pacific Northwest. A recent report authored by Lesser and Mitchell Rolling revealed that net-zero energy policies in Washington State and Oregon will produce staggering costs to individuals and businesses without providing any meaningful environmental benefits. You can watch a portion of the interview on the September 24th episode of [un]Divided below (starting at 19:45), or you can view the entire “Sundays with Subscribers” episode by subscribing to Brandi Kruse’s [un]Divided Patreon.

Like the Jeopardy! game show, green energy subsidies have been Congress’ answer to every energy policy question. The first OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74 catalyzed decades of energy policy, including the formation of the Department of Energy. Wind, solar, and hydropower subsidies began in earnest with the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act of 1978. Similarly, subsidies for corn-based ethanol were enacted as part of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978. Both were designed to reduce the country’s dependence on Middle East oil. The PURPA subsidies set off a race by independent developers to construct small generating plants whose output electric utilities were required to purchase at administratively set prices. In some cases, the subsidies were independent of how much Read More ›

As state and federal policies mandate the electrification of virtually all end uses to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels. For example, 18 states have adopted California’s Advanced Clear Car II rules requiring increasing percentages of new vehicle sales to be EVs, reaching 100% for the 2035 model year. In 2019, New York City enacted Local Law 97, which requires all residential buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to convert to electricity by 2035. Other states, such as New Jersey seek to convert all residential heating to electricity. Together, mandates for electric vehicles (EVs) and electrification of space and water heat will likely double electricity consumption and peak demand. Coupled with policies that mandate supplying the nation’s electricity with zero-emissions resources, notably intermittent Read More ›