Energy Archives - Page 2 of 2 Voice For Liberty

Jun

Kansas City Star’s dishonest portrayal of renewable energy mandate

Commentary from Kansas Policy Institute. Kansas City Star's dishonest portrayal of renewable energy mandate By Dave Trabert A recent Kansas City Star editorial criticizing opponents of Kansas’ renewal energy mandate for being disingenuous was itself a fine example of disingenuity. Kansas law mandates that utility companies purchase specific levels of renewable energy, which means that Kansans are forced to purchase wind energy and pay higher energy prices. The degree to which it is more expensive is a matter of dispute, but even the Star admits that wind is more expensive than fossil fuel alternatives. The Star describes this mandate as…

May

By Bob Weeks

End the wind production tax credit

U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo, a Republican who represents the Kansas fourth district, and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander in 2012 contributed the following article on the harm of the wind power production tax credit (PTC). The NorthBridge Group report referenced in the article is available at Negative electricity prices and the production tax credit. While the PTC is a federal issue, the Kansas Legislature could do taxpayers in Kansas and across the country a favor by ending the mandate to produce more of this taxpayer-subsidized power. Puff, the Magic Drag on the Economy Time to let the pernicious production tax credit…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas advanced biofuels plant subject of New York Times story

The New York Times has provided a story on the future of advanced biofuels, using a plant under construction in Kansas as the centerpiece. The plant, near the western Kansas town of Hugoton, produces cellulosic ethanol. Instead of using kernels of corn as input, the plant uses material like corn stalks and wheat straw. When the Hugoton plant starts operations in May, it will be twice as large as the largest plant currently in operation. A few notes: The lede of the story: "There is an old joke in the energy business that advanced biofuels are the fuel of the…

Rural Kansans’ billion-dollar subsidy of wind farms

Mar

By Guest Author

Rural Kansans’ billion-dollar subsidy of wind farms

From Kansas Policy Institute. Rural Kansans’ Billion-Dollar Subsidy of Wind Farms By Dave Trabert No, I'm not talking about any federal tax subsidies or mandates to buy high-cost wind energy that have forced higher taxes and electricity prices on every citizen. This billion-dollar gift comes in the form of local property tax exemptions. In some ways, this handout is even more insidious because the cost is borne by a relatively small number of Kansas homeowners and employers in the rural counties where wind farms exist. Under current law, renewable energy producers enjoy a lifetime exemption from property taxes in Kansas. I…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Primary U.S. energy production by fuel source

Primary U.S. energy production by fuel source, an interactive visualization. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 2014 Monthly Energy Review. Use the visualization below, or click here to open in a new window. Learn About Tableau

Energy subsidies for electricity production

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Energy subsidies for electricity production

When comparing federal subsidies for the production of electricity, it's important to look at the subsidy values in proportion to the amount of electricity generated. That's because the scales vary widely. For example, in 2010 for the United States, as can be seen in the accompanying table, coal accounted for the production of 1,851 billion kWh (or megawatt hours) of electricity production. That's 44.9 percent of all electricity produced. Solar power accounted for the production of 1,851 billion kWh, which is 0.025 percent of all electrical production. Solar power, however, received 8.2 percent of all federal subsidies, or about 328…